You're probably familiar with this list of Y2K Predictions. What I was wondering was whether any Y2K bets have been made and publicised on the Web. Anyone know of any?

Have any of the regular posters here made any bets with each other? I think a few bets here and there would spice up the whole Y2K issue a bit. Just imagine Paul Milne (say) betting Flint (say) that the whole electricity grid will come down in the US on 1/1/00. If the grid goes down, Flint owes Paul a propane stove and an oil lamp; if it stays up, Paul owes Flint a dollar for every time he's called him a submoronic asshole (or whatever epithet from Milne's repertoire Flint has come to cherish most). Not that I'm trying to make any suggestions...

-- Richard Dymond (rjdymond@hotmail.com), September 24, 1999

Answers

Who cares, Richard? This is not a game!

-- (dot@dot.dot), September 24, 1999.

Wait a minute! Y2K bets are not a waste of time! They are my best y2k awareness tool.

When I get into a discussion of y2k, the person I talk to usually says that everything will be fine. Then I suggest a bet -- 2 rolls of toilet paper on Febuary 1, 2000.

When we agree to the terms of the bet (existence of gas shortages or bank problems), I then say I already have the advantage. The person says "why?" then I say "if y2k is nothing, toilet paper is cheap, if y2k is series, it is more valuable than gold!" I usually get a response like "I got to think about this!"

It is an excellent awareness tool. :-)

-- David Holladay (davidh@brailleplanet.org), September 24, 1999.

Wait a minute! Y2K bets are not a waste of time! They are my best y2k awareness tool.

When I get into a discussion of y2k, the person I talk to usually says that everything will be fine. Then I suggest a bet -- 2 rolls of toilet paper on Febuary 1, 2000.

When we agree to the terms of the bet (existence of gas shortages or bank problems), I then say I already have the advantage. The person says "why?" then I say "if y2k is nothing, toilet paper is cheap, if y2k is serious, it is more valuable than gold!", So I pay cheap, you pay expensive. I usually get a response like "I got to think about this!"

It is an excellent awareness tool. :-)

-- David Holladay (davidh@brailleplanet.org), September 24, 1999.

Is there a content-augmenting echo in here?

-- Richard Dymond (rjdymond@hotmail.com), September 24, 1999.

Hi Richard. I have a wager with Robert Cook on what happens related to the power grid. It was made several months ago. I don't know if any other wagers have been formally made.

-- Dan (dgman19938@aol.com), September 25, 1999.