Thought this deserved a separate thread.

It's now official: The "Why the power will fail in 2000" thread was a hoax. The guy who wrote it spills the beans:

http://www.wwjd.net/smpoole/fixed.html

(Look for the section entitled "An Experiment in Journalism")

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

Answers

if it were april fools day and we were in the 7th grade this type of behavior might be excusable.

i know nothing about this individual and have no desire to know. what type of an 'adult' would make light of a situation as serious as the one we face?

i do not believe that one engineer nor anyone else on this forum finds this type of behavior in good taste. and to attempt to justify this absurdity as a *test* is the heighth of ignorance.

i, myself, find it an exceedingly puerile and unconscionable bid for attention.

it says alot more about the poster than those that responded... and what it is saying... isn't very nice.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

Marianne - your comment about this being appropriate for the 7th grade was great. It was at about that age that I thought it was real cool to fool folks with sincere sounding lies. Shortly thereafter I learned the lesson that once people know you will lie to them, your reputation is shot. Key points here:

1. Just because someone makes up a hoax posting about a fictional Y2K problem, doesn't mean that Y2K is a hoax.

2. Darwin's Law is Y2K compliant.

3. The Law of Karma is also Y2K compliant.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

i feel this a constructive forum with serious minded people trying to sort through a murky quagmire of spin, unknowns, hype, and massive ammounts of technical material in order to come to some logical conclusion about the state of readyness of the electric utilities as it relates to the y2k computer problem. this attempt at creating a sensationalistic panic has no place on this forum. although we dont all agree on all things, i think everyone sincerely does want to know the truth. i would hope that the moderator of the forum would delete that thread and lets move on to the business at hand. sincerely al

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

From this dork's website:

All we've seen thus far are scattered failures (which were expected. Doomlits think that people like me claim that there will be no problems with Y2K; in fact, I've said the opposite: that problems occur and we work around them, and Y2K [is/will be] no different).

Why don't you ask the parents of the boys who were burned to death by a computer failure inspired pipeline explosion if they think these scattered failures are such a big deal. Or maybe you could ask the people who worked at the control center in Renton, why their control center failed (oops forgot they're taking the fifth to avoid criminal prosecution for manslaughter!).

Or maybe you could ask the people at the Aluminum plant down south that blew up this weekend how they feel about technology and safety controls.

I've said it before, and I say it again, Hubris Kills. The author of this posting is guilty of hubris of the highest order. It is my sincere hope that no one you care for is injured or killed during Y2K or fails to prepare adequately because of your stupidity.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

Well, it's good we all know the truth now. Though my intuition is often very good, alas, it is not always right. I've been duped before by cons. The last was a couple of years ago, and after months of lies, I finally caught her, and confronted her. She admitted being an "artist" at lying. I'm happy to say that she is no longer part of my life.

I'm actually writing, as I'd like more information about the aluminum plant that exploded. Can you tell me of a publication where it is mentioned?

Thanks, Victoria

-- Anonymous, July 06, 1999

I do not, and have not, relied on individual reports to shape my opinion on y2k. I read them but put them aside until I can verify. This includes Gary North's personal opinions. North's daily postings of news reports are a convenient way to serf news. Then I look for substantiating sources and/or go to the orignal source. Verify, verify.

This hoaxer illustrates the pitfall of believing individual reports. Spreading a lie has no redeeming value. Our President is proof of that.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 1999

I'm actually writing, as I'd like more information about the aluminum plant that exploded. Can you tell me of a publication where it is mentioned?

There are some links and quotations in this Yourdon forum thread.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 1999