BOTTOM LINE:

- *Nobody* knows what's going to happen on a macro, global scale. If anyone tries to dispute this (good or bad), *NEVER* believe *ANYTHING* that comes from them again.

- *Everyone* (good or bad, myself included), *Everyone* has a hidden agenda and desires some sort of outcome from this. Businesses, governments, etc. have agendas to maintain the status quo. Basically it's a HUGE SPIN GAME from both sides, therefore you can't believe *ANYTHING* from *ANYBODY* regarding Y2K ever again, even after the fact (1/1/2000).

- Y2K is not a hoax; if left *totally* unattended (i.e. not one of us 6 billion had a clue), we would probably be looking at almost the extinction of the species. This is what makes Y2K different from every other historical prediction or disaster: the "do nothing" option is what will get us.

- As for the Jo Anne Effect, it only affects a *small* percentage of information systems. It does not affect embedded systems. People who are wondering why nothing happened on 7/1/1999 have no clue. Information systems with look ahead dates don't die on the spot - it takes time for them to become corrupted. The same holds for a vast majority of *information* systems on 1/1/2000 - so I guess we'll see the same clueless analysis then too. It's the *embedded* systems in which the majority may crash on 1/1/2000, not information systems. 8/21/1999 & 9/9/1999 will probably be minor events in the public arena too, so don't necessarily equate that with Y2K success.

- Y2K doesn't happen in a vacuum; we still have natural disasters, geopolitical fallouts (embargos, wars, etc.), terrorists, hucksters, criminals, human errors, everything you have right now will keep going on in the face of Y2K, possibly even worse.

- Knowing the above points, it is only prudent that one "HOPE FOR THE BEST, PREPARE FOR THE WORST" There is no other way.

-- Jim (x@x.x), July 07, 1999

Answers

jim-bob,

i agree with you bud but here-in lies the problem. as we get closer to the big date there has been a lot of progress that has been made. this tends to lessen (not eliminate) the likely hood of the total catastrophe that just a short while back many people were calling for. now, that the likelyhood of a more calamitous scenario has lessened, the people who took extreme measures by preparing for the worst, run the risk of being seen as extreme. so, instead of hoping for the best, these "extreme" types are actually disappointed when they hear good news regarding remidiation. they want to be able to say, "i told you so. go away and starve."

that is sad. those who started out hoping for the best and preparing for the worst have turned the phrase on it's head. they are now prepared for the worst and hoping for the

-- corrine (corrine@iwaynet.net), July 07, 1999.

worst.

.

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), July 07, 1999.

I am going to start feeding a troll here...

corrinne,

I am pretty high on the negativity slide when it comes to y2k. Do I want the system to fail..? Do I want to see an economic collapse..? Do I want to see people starving..??

NO, I don't want any of that to happen. I am married for 3 years now. I would LOVE to have children with my beautiful wife and raise them in a good economy. I want to buy a house with a pool in a nice neighboorhood, drive my Chevy Tahoe, play computergames, educate myself about the world we live in, learn to play the guitar, make love to my wife, take a cruise, learn a couple more languages, watch Star Wars III and discover how Anakin Skywalker came to the dark side..... Those are the things I WANT to happen.

Now, I work in the computer industry. I have been semi-close to the y2k project in a MAJOR goverment institution. To the outside everything is under control... On the inside most of the managers run around with smiles on their faces and tell everyone "We got Y2K handled"... If there is no problem... why is the head of the y2k project for this agency telling his geeks OFF-SITE.. "You better stock up... This is going to be bad... White House has made HAIR RAISING CONTINGENCY PLANS".... Why are the code-heads buying years supply of food..? Why are some of these code-heads buying houses in the country...? And why the HELL have they finished ASSESSMENT in March of this year...?????

Do I want y2k to happen...??? No, I want to go live my little tiny puny life and die a fat man...

Will it happen...??? I have no clue... But from all the things I read... From all the news I hear... It's going to happen... How bad... I have no clue...

I feel like a lone foot soldier standing guard at a gate... And all I hear is footsteps... Massive foot steps... I know there is an army headed straight for me... or is it...?? (Watch Braveheart again.. you'll get the visual... ) Am I being paranoid..? I don't know... All I DO KNOW is that I can't wait til it's over so I can go slurp some hot chocolate at Starbucks, drink an ice cold Miller lite and take a good long comfortable nap... But if that CAN'T be the case... I still want to die a FAT man.. I love to eat.. So, I prepare...

That's what I WANT...

-- STFrancis (STFrancis@heaven.com), July 07, 1999.

Kudos, STFrancis!

Ripples... BIG ripples... in a global pond.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 07, 1999.

I agree with both of you. (Jim, STFrancis). Someone on my y2k team finally woke up. He's moving his family to Wichita, Kansas! He say's his wife got him to look into it and it finally hit home for both of them. Things COULD get very ugly. He doesn't exspect it to happen but they are sure worried enough to move there family 600 miles west just in case. Y2k awareness is a snowball, y2k anxiety is also a snowball, expect the pace to pickup.

-- Mike (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), July 07, 1999.

I have been preparing for over a year now. I do not want Y2K to happen and I have a business that sells Y2K, survival and disaster products. I am glad to hear that such and such is ready, compliant etc. I also feel that I can no longer believe either side. I hear stories and personal accounts from both sides and they differ dramatically. From a friend who works for the US Treasury and says they have it under control, to someone who's neighbors work on embeddeds and have bought farms and 2 year supplies of food. In the past year I have gone from TEOTWAWKI to I just don't know anymore. I would be thrilled if I never got another order and Y2K was a bump in the road, but yet I continue to prepare just in case. I was telling my DH the other day that I was just tired of worrying about it. It has been all consuming for so long. I want my teenage son who just graduated from high school to go to college, I want to see grandchildren someday, I want to retire to Maine etc. etc. We all do not want Y2K to happen (at least I hope so), but yet we are here everyday checking things out to see what the latest Y2K news is....makes you wonder....are we here to see that nothing happens or to hear the latest non-rememdiation story....Many days I wish it would all go away, but I keep preparing....

-- Diane (prepare@highlandtraders.com), July 07, 1999.

STFrancis, are you based in WDC? Can you elaborate on the White House contingency plans?

-- Nihn Hoa (tech@univ.now), July 07, 1999.

Can't really comment on contingency plans...

Just some of the things you hear on worldnetdaily as well... possible scenario for martial law..etc..

-- STFrancis (STFrancis@heaven.com), July 07, 1999.

too much dogma in both camps.it's become a sectarian debate.I just keep prepairing.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 07, 1999.