Subject:	Atlant-a: The Next "Atlant-is"
Date:	1999/05/16
Author:	fedinfo <fedinfo@halifax.com>
	Posting History

City misses mark on computer bug By Julie B. Hairston, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution   City officials have all but abandoned attempts to get many of their 3,000 personal computers ready to handle the rollover from 1999 to 2000--the "Y2K bug" that is threatening computer operations worldwide   Failure to bring all of the city's PCs into compliance is likely to have a "cascading" impact throughout the system, said Michael Flores, chief executive of Bretton Woods Inc., a consulting firm that advises public and private organizations on Y2K programs.   Ron Dolinsky, executive director of the Atlanta-Southeast Region Y2K Solutions Center, warned that the city's non-compliance could have a "ripple effect" on the business community.   "I don't think it's a very good situation in a city with half-a-million people to not be ready," said Dolinsky, whose non-profit organization assists small businesses with Y2K problems     ISN was hired to find and fix all the Y2K glitches in the city's vast system of computers and computer-aided processes.   City memos indicate that the day ISN removed its 140 employees from City Hall, hope of avoiding all potential Y2K pitfalls in the city's technology left the building with them.   A month earlier, a high-level technology employee with the city warned his superiors in an electronic message that Atlanta could not possibly reach its goal without the consultant's help.   "I believe we must work with ISN," wrote Larry W. Price, network operations manager for the city's Bureau of Management Information Systems. "To me, it's not a question of 'losing' with or without them; it's with them we have a chance, without them we lose for sure. It's way too late to try to start over."   Reams of paper records on the city's Y2K compliance effort show city officials are painfully aware how little time is left.   "They are so far behind the curve right now, they've got to focus almost entirely on contingency planning," Flores said.   ======   If you live in Atlanta...you are a walking dead man. There is no prayer for even a remotely properly functioning city. Now, if you are a Pollyanna, you can ignore this and go your merry way and just call it 'spin'.   For those of you with half a brain in your head, consider this.....   Has the city of Atlanta done ANYTHING at all to warn it's citizens to make substantial preparations?   No. Why not? Atlanta is completely **ENSCREWED**. And yet, they will NOT warn the population no matter what because they do not want to 'alarm' anyone. Again, why? Because they know that EVEN if they make this warning, PANIC will ensue.   But, it makes no difference in the long run at all. The panic will occur. Either it will come as a result of the 'perceived' objective failures or as a result of them as the unprepared people panic as they are actually occurring.   Atlanta has NO chance of being ready, or even in the ballpark. Now think what it will ALSO mean to the economy to lose the Airport there as well.   If you had any sense at all you would get the heck out of Atlanta, NOW.     http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/1999/05/16/y2k_atlanta.html -- Paul Milne If you live within five miles of a 7-11, you're toast. --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- ---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---

-- a (a@a.a), May 18, 1999

Answers

All this and Eric Robert Rudolph is still on the loose!

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), May 18, 1999.

Unfortunately, Atlanta isn't the only municipality that won't be ready. Ditto some states, some Federal agencies, and a LOT of the rest of the world. The question will be: how badly they are impaired? If you live in a likely jammed-up area, you MUST consider the possibilities (which are admittedly bleak) and make your decisions... (1) ignore it (2) move to a possibly safe location (3) attempt to prepare (self, or with friends, neighbors, churches, etc.)...the less the local government is preparing, the more you should prepare!

It is a shame to see such failure by the local government, especially of a major city. On the other hand, Atlanta could be considered a poster child of Y2K readiness compared, to say, Washington, DC.

In short, folks, prepare!

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), May 18, 1999.

Makes me glad that I left there in 1990. But, if I was there, I would head up to Cockran Falls if things got really bad. All of you in that area that aren't campers should look into that area as there are cabins there and it will be off season.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), May 18, 1999.

Makes me wonder if Ted and Jane are going to be hanging around town this year's holiday season.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), May 18, 1999.

May the wind take your troubles away, Eric.

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@aol.com), May 18, 1999.

Shucks, the wind in Atlanta doesn't even take the smog away.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), May 19, 1999.

WW- yeah, good point - quick someone tell Ted and Jane that only Christians are preparing for y2k...oh alright, I know that wasn't nice, but it would be kinda funny...along about 10 days after the rollover...

Arlin

[who is suffering from insomnia again...]

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), May 19, 1999.

But wait Arlin,

It's not Christians that are prepping, It's that vast right wing conspiracy, Christian Extremists, Militia wacko's that are prepping.

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@aol.com), May 19, 1999.

But Tom - the wind that does blow the smog away only brings more pollen in from the forests.

This spring, we had a week where it began at 2000 count on one Monday, slowly increased to 3000, 4000, then peaked at 6300 pollen count by Saturday. Course, by Monday, it was down to a more reasonable level of 1800.

The rest of the country believes a pollen count of 100 is extremely high, and anything above 80 "very uncomfortable", anything above 50 is "high"...

The ozone levels are due to pine trees - not cars, but the EPA wants to stop road construction until the cars go away and the ozone levels go down. Maybe they realy should pave everything to reduce pollution levels. .. but that's what they're trying in West Cobb, North Gwinnett, Rockdale, etc.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), May 19, 1999.