A week or so ago, I queried someone in an email summary regarding whether employers would be concerned about one's "take" on Y2K in the future - especially IT employers.

I made further queries among industry professionals and contractor shops, and was shocked to learn that something like this has already begun. According to individuals I spoke with, contract employers and IT firms in general do not wish to employ those who ascribe to the catastrophic Y2K scenarios.

I was appalled, as I know that a person's beliefs on this (or any) subject does not affect the quality of their work. I know (and work with) some ingenius programmers who disagree with me about the coming non-event, but they remain capable (excellent, even) at their trade. And, I have met others who believe differently than I, but without a hint of malice (though I have not met any of those here). So I was shocked to learn of the logic that is being employed:

It seems that employers are concerned that, in the light of growing evidence that indeed nothing will occur in the way of major outages predicted by doomers, that they may feel inclined to produce such incidents to justify their adherence to a doomed (double entendre intended) meme.

Prior to my experiences with "experts" here, I would have had grounds to vehemently disagree (which I did at first, but later reconsidered). I do not believe this is fair, as most people I meet are following the logical and sensible advice of storing a minimal amount of rations - as in the event of an emergency (Y2K-related or not). One employer (a large US contract shop whose name you would likely recognise), however, cited an internal memo referencing a newsgroup posting depicting cannabalistic acts carried out against a person or persons who did not expect total societal collapse as a result of Y2K, as well as the evident abilities of some doomers to shut down disagreeable websites at will. I only mention it here as it validates a prediction I made earlier regarding the more extreme "believers."

Personally, I see this as a tragedy. A lot of good people are going to be lumped in with a few extremists; and suffer unjustly because of it.

Sad Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), September 04, 1999

Answers

Troll Alert!!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), September 04, 1999.

"It seems that employers are concerned that, in the light of growing evidence that indeed nothing will occur in the way of major outages predicted by doomers, that they may feel inclined to produce such incidents, to justify their adherence to a doomed (double entendre intended) meme."

Oh, yeah, certainly employers will have to do that, its called "reasonable accomodation". Ask Human Resources, they will tell you: if you employ a doomer and Y2K turns out to be a big nothing, then the employer must provide a working environment that provides for power outages, martial law, etc. Catbert explained the whole thing in a Dilbert strip a few weeks ago.

BTW, Andy Ray, I understand that Porky in cell block D had a wet meme about you. I think he likes you a lot.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

Sir,

Before I dignify you with an answer to your question.

(well--wait a minute--I mean your opinion)

Can you please clarify if you are like an important person around these parts.

What with all the special Green Font and everything, I figure your some sort of big shot or something.

Well are you??

-- David Butts (dciinc@aol.com), September 05, 1999.

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said: two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command,
Tell that it's sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is OzAndyass, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

-- (XRay@PBshelley....), September 05, 1999.

Dave

Andy Ray has already been "obligated" off the forum already. I know a poster named "porky" likes him though.

His chief discretion has been suggesting foul manipulations of the forum. (See thread below)  Although his stupid questions and arrogant stance runs a close second.

 TBY2K SYSOP(s) ATTENTION PLEASE!!

Funny his font color comes across as a teal on a Mac and more green on a windoze machine.

Andy Whoever
 

This is a low for you EH?

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 05, 1999.

XRay

Great! We should have a thread for great literary quotes.

 Amazon.com: A Glance: Wen-Tzu : Understanding the Mysteries (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

P. 140

Those who practice policies that make for survival will surely survive even if they are small, those who practice policies that made for destruction will surely perish even if they are large, Therefore skillful defense has nothing to do with resistance, and skillful warfare has nothing to do with battle. If you take advantage of the momentum of the times and accord with the wishes of the people, the world will follow.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 05, 1999.

Another quote for the proud

'Verily, I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of Heaven!' Who denounced in unmeasured terms the exploiters of his own time: 'Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites!'  'Woe unto you also, you lawyers!'  'Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?'

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 05, 1999.

"...in the light of growing evidence that indeed nothing will occur in the way of major outages..."

Please provide this growing evidence. I must have missed it.

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), September 05, 1999.

Lian,

What? No Y2K gibberish to post? I must say I am disappointed.

;)

Amused Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), September 06, 1999.