An analogy to the Y2K issues keeps coming to mind. Ill explore it a little bit here. Please bear with me, Im just exploring some ideas.

These persistent thoughts point toward this notion that each of us structures our own consciousness with ideas, beliefs, convictions, etc. We reach conclusions, set some convictions about the way things are, build a life around those ideas, etc. We learn more and keep adding to the structure of our consciousness. Its a little different for each of us.

One thing I think we all pretty much agree on is that change is the only constant. Everything changes. Now heres where it gets interesting; the structure of our consciousness is quite often rather fixed. Bits and pieces of it are more or less solid. We have strong convictions that this is the way things are. Were used to those things being the same, we rely on it, we base our predictions, our plans for the future on them. We build a life around them.

Frequently we get little awakenings as to the error of one or more convictions. Say that so and so, who we know is a jerk, does something nice. We have to make an adjustment in our thinking. In this case a pleasant one. Sometimes the adjustments arent so pleasant, as when we feel sure of our security then lose our job and have difficulty finding a new one. In this case we may wind up making a lot of adjustments in our consciousness.

In the case of a divorce or the loss of a loved one the structure of our consciousness may be severely shaken, or devastated. Deep soul searching is the norm after these events. We search ourselves for what went wrong, why things are this way, etc. Cornerstones of our consciousness, or lots of little ideas we held, failed us. They didnt hold up to the inevitable changes.

When its deep and disturbing none of us doubt there was no way you could have prepared for it. You will have had to have taken some pretty severe hits in life to understand this.

When we are very young the structure of our consciousness is just beginning to be formed. Change comes easily. We are flexible, less fixed in our ideas about how things are. We still suffer tragedy and pain, but we seem to get over it quicker. Theres not so much structure to rebuild. As we grow, continually adding to our consciousness, we get more and more rigid, more set in our ways. Change becomes more difficult. Abrupt change can be quite traumatic and much more difficult to go through.

Groups of individuals go through the same things on a different scale. Industries close down or relocate, leaving large numbers of people out of work is an example. Nations lose a leader, etc. Take this up one more level to the world consciousness and we see profound events affecting us as a whole.

In the big scheme of things the entire realm of digital "stuff" is really quite new on the scene. However; it has this trait of being central to the way we organize our affairs, how we structure our collective consciousness, our dealings with the world and each other. It is quite pervasive and has come to be the way we do things. We rely on it to a huge extent, especially when you consider how new the stuff is.

In the digital realm the use of dates is ubiquitous. (Websters; u-biq-ui-tous; present, or seeming to be present, everywhere at the same time.) In software, firmware and hardware, small chunks of digital code proves to us daily, weekly, hourly, and so on down to the nanosecond that we were right to do it this way. Its obvious, it works. With slight variations in the way we structured this digital consciousness to juggle time weve satisfied ourselves that all was well because it worked.

Every instance of these ubiquitous chunks of digital consciousness are like a fixed idea in the way we think about, view and operate in the world. They are our digital beliefs and because theyve worked so well, so far, weve have no need to examine them. Weve built an impressive structure upon those fixed ideas. We trust it.

I think everyone reading this agrees there will be failures due to Y2K. The alarming thing about this is that the failures will be due to the implementation of some variation on some small chunk of digital code. Like Tinker Toys, or Legos, or some other building system in which we have a somewhat limited number of choices in the pieces we choose to use, these chunks of digital code only work in so many ways. The faulty ones are as thoroughly mixed in the structures weve built as the good ones.

Rather than separate hardware from software, embedded chips from embedded systems, and so on, we can simply recognize we are talking about digital instructions. If this then that. No matter how simple it is, nor how complex, the digital instructions are limited. The truth of the matter is the limitations of *some*, (Twenty five billion? Two hundred, fifty billion? Who knows how many?), of these building blocks, these digital cogs, will be met come the date change.

Its like saying billions and billions of all the blue Lego blocks are going to stop working when they come up against the century date change. If you look at all the blue Lego blocks that are in use we instantly dont believe it. No-way. Cant happen. Youre dreaming a very bad dream If you manage to get past that phase of denial you find its impossible to figure out which ones are going to fail. Eventually you realize that basically we can only do so much, then hope for the best.

Heres an interesting analogy; What if a certain percentage of all of the McDonalds hamburgers ever sold will make people sick on or around the date change? If you ever ate a McDonalds hamburger, even way back in the sixties theres a distinct possibility, perhaps even a probability that you will get sick! Billions and billions served. Its a retro-active kind of thing.

Mr. Ways paper elucidates crucially important information about these abrupt changes we are about to be going through; It deals with the interaction between these systems or structures of our digital consciousness. Today they work in harmony together but many wont after the changes. Like a bad divorce, or other massive loss, where families and other organizations no longer function and lives are hugely disrupted and individuals no longer work together. They no longer provide mutual support. They quite probably will become mutually destructive.

So now we not only have individual systems and structures breaking down, flat out stopping, we also have remaining structures that, although still functioning, no longer function together and can actively work against one another.

Because there was no agreement ahead of time between systems on how things should be done, each system grew up "believing" its way was right. The digital structures that dont simply crash on or around the date change will then continue to do what they "know" is right; If this, then that. Period. The systems will continue to do what they always did. The fixed ideas in the digital consciousness will come up with erroneous conclusions, yet they will still "know" they are right. The erroneous data will then be passed on to the next system and processed. Error compounding error.

We grow and change. We reach conclusions, build a structure we call consciousness, and periodically it fails. Most times the failures are minor and easily adapted to. Periodically we go through pervasive, life altering changes. Soul searching times. Some of us see the changes coming, some do what they can ahead of time, some of us ignore them for whatever reason, but change comes. To individuals, to small and large groups, to nations and even to the world, change is the constant, but it isnt always a steady change. Sometimes it is quite abrupt.

All the Y2K remediation efforts so far have been by those who see it coming. It has already altered the lives of many and will continue to do so for years to come.

These Y2K discussion forums on the net are somewhat like therapy sessions, like family counseling before a pending divorce. We can argue every aspect of the situation, and we do. Stick together or not, changes will come. This time it will be abrupt change. On a grim note Ive heard it said that if you are in therapy its already too late. This echoes the voices whove said; "Y2K should not even be an issue. It should have been handled years ago."

In many ways its been a bad marriage. Our collective consciousness has too many hidden agendas, too much deceit, underhanded self-centered dealings, denial of the problems, etc. Change is over-due. A little soul searching is in order anyway. Perhaps we can move on to work out better ways of doing things. Unfortunately innocent people will undoubtedly be hurt in the process.

Remember though that change is inevitable. The long time track clearly shows a history of punctuated evolution. Things change slowly, sometimes ever so slowly, and once in awhile things change very abruptly. Pow! The gentle waves of evolutionary change become a tsunami. A tidal wave of change overwhelming the standing order. This is true for individuals, groups and all of us together.

And then a new order is established, change continues, the cycle repeats.

Its a very exciting time to be alive isnt it? Y2K is one of those tidal waves of change that we are living and guiding our lives through. Y2K is happening, not will happen. How big will it get? Who knows?

Let me mix the metaphors so to speak and compare this journey through this portion of our lives to a white water rafting trip. Theres some rapids coming up around the next bend or two. We know without any shadow of a doubt they are there. We have no idea how rough the water will be. The water has been very calm for a long time. Most everyone is quite complacent about it. Some of us have heard what sounds like the roar of rapids approaching, most havent heard a thing, or refuse to pay any attention to it. Some have checked to make sure their life jackets are buckled up snugly, some arent even wearing them. We cannot get out of the boat. Thats not an option is it?

You know what? Even if the rapids are a dud it has still been exciting. Ive looked into things I never would have otherwise. My consciousness, my awareness of the world I live in has been unalterably changed, expanded, improved.

If all this speculation about Y2K turns out to have been akin to a scary story told at a campfire, the effect will have been quite profound all the same. Im more aware of our interconnectedness. Im wiser for having interacted with these earth-ship passengers I met on the net.

Life is a process. Y2K is a process. We live it, experience it, change and continue. Some things in life pass unnoticed, some things we see coming from a long way off and still they catch us unprepared for all the change they hold. Some things we can deny and go on denying on into death. Some things we accept so completely that they become transparent to us. We cannot see these things at all until we come up hard against them. Betrayal is like that. Very soon now and for a fair time to come, a sizeable number of our digital beliefs will fail to serve us and will likely betray us. We will come up against them, hard or soft, and the changes will continue.

This digital consciousness weve created mimics, to an amazing degree, our own consciousness and demonstrates the dangers inherent in fixed ideas. Very soon now, perhaps more than ever, we as individuals, groups, and collectively will be pressed to give up restrictive, limited ideas, beliefs, and systems or just small parts of systems that no longer work. If depression results on the individual, collective, or on the digital consciousness level then lets try to pas

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Answers

If depression results on the individual, collective, or on the digital consciousness level then lets try to pass through it quickly. Lets adapt to the changes quickly, repair whats worth repairing and start over where it makes most sense.

Steve

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Yeah Steve, Its been a thrilling ride. But I gotta get off pretty soon.

dave

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999