What is this Jo Anne Effect I keep reading about?

-- Goombah@aol.com (goombah@aol.com), May 12, 1999

Answers

Accounting system failures as the software does projections into fiscal 2000. Cory Hamasaki named this after someone named Joann, who though it up. The problem is that although we keep reading about it, it doesn't seem to be happening in the real world, spoiling the doomers' predictions.

-- David M. Haigh (dm_haigh@yahoo.com), May 12, 1999.

The Jo Anne Effect is happening. It's just not shutting anybody down.

-- Buddy (.@...), May 12, 1999.

Yes, it is happening.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), May 12, 1999.

Lehman,

How about some evidence, instead of bald assertions.

-- David M. Haigh (dm_haigh@yahoo.com), May 12, 1999.

It is happening its still only May watch for things to come

Perception distorts reality

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), May 12, 1999.

Here's Jo Anne Slaven's description of the Jo Anne Effect (JAE):

http://www.computerpro.com/~phystad/jae.html

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), May 12, 1999.

I never understood why anyone thought this would be a big deal. It applies to forward looking programs. Most of these employ models that tell the corp. how to plan for the months ahead. Even if they fail it just means that the corps. are flying by the seat of their pants. Most corps. have enough smart people around to do this somewhat well although not up to the performance that the program provided.

What this does do is just knock away another block in the wall of effiency. Degrading the overall economic system. Y2K will be a slow grinding process of months duration unless the grid goes down.

LM

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), May 12, 1999.

david, you must not know anyone in the computer services industry, or you would know that there are a lot of jo anne type problems out there. my husband works in computer sales and service, and has had about 40 clients with that problem this year, more pop up every month, it depends on their fiscal year end. usually a company calls and has no clue what is wrong. if they call a clueless service company, they may waste a lot of time and money and they are not going to report it to the press or even to the shareholders. if they get a good service company, they will find out they probably have a noncompliant accounting package, which is forecasting into 2000. for a temporary fix, they have to make sure they only forecast into 1999. but then they must upgrade or get new software if there are no compliant upgrades available.

so far, my husband has not had a single client report their woes to the press. so of course you wouldn't hear about it. the jo anne problem is great in that it forces these people to fix their systems. some had been told in advance they had to do it, but ignored the advice until they had no choice, but most simply had no idea what had happened.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), May 13, 1999.