from http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb237006&MyNum=930889081&P=Yes&TL=930885094:

CPR writes:

They'd never post this: OFFICIAL DEBUNKS Y2k and Canadian PASSPORT STORY. "TO suggest it is Y2k-related is
 nonsense"!!!!
 Friday, 02-Jul-1999 00:18:01 

From: "Michael Bittle" 
Subject: Re: UK Passport crisis blamed on Millennium bug
     Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 23:34:37 -0400

     A nice theory but it does not fit the facts.

     Having managed a Canadian Passport Office for over a decade, I know from
     personal experience that our government dealt with this aspect of Y2K over
     five years ago.

     Canadian Passports are issued with a 5 year validity. Passports issued in
     1995 had an expiry date of 2000. We had to make the necessary adjustments to
     our systems before then, in order to continue issuing. We did so, without
     missing even a day of production time.

     British Passports are issued for 10 years. Our colleagues in the UK made
     their Y2K adjustments in 1990.

     This time of year is traditionally busy for most passport offices, as
     parents begin their last-minute arrangements for their children's summer
     vacations. An unforeseen increase in demand easily throws off what is
     normally a very tight production cycle.

     To suggest it is Y2K-related is nonsense.

     Michael Bittle
     New Focus
     http://www.new-focus.org

Here's what the London Telegraph said:

In all but two offices, staff have been forced to continue to use the old system called PIMIS, parts of which do not correctly process dates beyond Dec 31, 1999. Other staff have attempted to use the new PASS, Millennium bug-compliant, system provided by Siemens, which is neither completely operational nor fully tested...

Regardless of how the system worked before, it's obvious that more y2k fixes were being introduced. The situation was undoubtedly aggravated by other factors, but to call this "debunking" is pathetic. If this is the best that the lead y2k debunker can come up with, we're screwed.

Oh and CPR... you were wrong...we did post it.

-- a (a@a.a), July 02, 1999

Answers

Norm = a@a.a = Y2K Pro = Flint = Mutha Nachu = Super Troll.

Go post your good news somewhere else.

-- ye (ye@ye.ye), July 02, 1999.

yada yada yada. Old news. Go post it as debunky

-- Arty (papist@pumpineater.com), July 02, 1999.

Ye and Arty,

To put 'a' and Flint in the same sty with Norm, Pro and Muthah indicates to everyone who has been here longer than a month that you're new to these parts.

While we always welcome newbies to this forum, I just wish we had maintained the requirement that they be able to read.

Hallyx

"[sigh] So many idiots, so few comets."---Harlanquin

-- (Hallyx@aol.com), July 02, 1999.

If this official doesn't believe in Y2K that will be to his demise. Let's let it rest.

-- jammy (wesleyan@dog.com), July 02, 1999.