Good article on "millinium meme" phenomenon...

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Check it out, and share your thoughts. The following article made me think. It also presents a nice "conceptial framework" for evaluating a lot of the millinium behavior we're likely to see as events over the next two or three months play out.

http://www.year2000.com/archive/thought.html

-- anon (anon@here.now), November 08, 1999

Answers

Don't waste your time: its a Polly piece explaining why those concerned about Y2k ARE NUTS and "how to combat Y2K Hysteria".

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), November 08, 1999.

It has served one purpose: It has made me totally sick of the word "meme".

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 08, 1999.

On the contrary,

I found the article most helpfull and thought provoking. I've always thought that people's reactions will make whatever Y2K brings worse than it would ordinarily be. The information in the article I think will be helpful in understanding, anticipating and preparing for the kind of stuff that is going to be going on over the next two or three months. After all, I wouldn't want someone else to disrupt my situation -- just because I didn't know enough to recognize the "clues" and "see it coming" -- and get out of the way!

-- anon (anon@here.now), November 08, 1999.


jon,

the article happens to be an extremely well written one, and one that everyone should read. its certainly not your average polly heckling those in preparations.

however, the author does nothing to address the 'real' issue: has enough computer code and embedded systems been repaired to prevent a catastrophe from occuring?

of course, the 'real' answer is: no one knows.

another response is that - to me - the global situation looks pitiful right now. and i dont care what anyone says about 'contagions' or other abstract stuff. i've been in the software industry for 12 years, and am well aware of the fragility of systems to be scared sh*tless about what could happen.

i honestly dont understand how an apparently intelligent person can ignore the risks we face, and just dismiss it all as so much mass hysteria.

geeeez ...

-- lou (lanny1@ix.netcom.com), November 08, 1999.


A rational explanation for making Y2K preparations
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001R UO

Sincerely,
Stan Faryna

Got 14 days of preps? If not, get started now. Click here.

Click here and check out the TB2000 preparation forum.

Got an oil lamp? Need parts. See the cooperative preps.



-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 08, 1999.


who the hell is a meme, is that somoene who believes in "me first"?

-- just me not meme (what@the.hell), November 08, 1999.

Another good example of "memes" and how they work

This one is good, because EVERYONE can relate to having FWD'ed e-mail virus warnings....real or imagined.

-- Meme Buster (got@over.the.contagion), November 08, 1999.


This is the second such post today. COINCIDENCE?

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001jBc

Doc Paulie once told somebody he had a meme. This is how he explained it.

Lose the thinking deal, you aren't. Like ALL OF US, you are a composite of many memes. Appears you have what Flint has, the either/or meme in a "bad" way. I also detect some sexual hang-up meme(this is could be called the universal meme). I also detect a variation of the either/or meme, in the form of the good/evil meme. Man you do have issues now don't you? Welcome to the club!

Good news is, one can work on not being a good environment for the many destructive memes. You cannot see the good(memes) due to your prior good/evil meme but maybe by accessing your either/or meme you can deduce that good memes exist, fair enough? make sense in that there thinking of yours? great.

Remain an observer. This applies mentally as well. Trouble is most have never been beyond their memes, which they call their thinking. All the "problems" ya know Robert. When one has mental clarity there is no thinking, worrying, deciding, just options, how is that for a meme?

Further reading available in the cybermemosphere..

Why do Memes die? Things I am reading

Doc Paulie >

-- meme (me@up.Scotty), November 08, 1999.


Mr. "meme me up scotty" why don't you go READ the link, instead of critizing? Why are the pessimists always trying to cast doubt and aspersions on anyone with an optimistic view of y2k? Can't you handle the fact that you may have been manipulated from the start of this whole y2k hysteria? Can you even entertain the possibility, or must you continue in a y2k belief system, regardless of new data?

-- No, I'm not Doc Paulie (or@even.Paulie.Shore), November 08, 1999.

Memes are a nice conceptual framework. They go a long ways in explaining how uneducated people develop convictions which are not based on fact. The antidote to any false meme is fact. The only way to discover fact is to do research and to apply critical thinking skills.

There are many conflicting memes about Y2k. There is the "polly" meme the "doomer" meme and the many banking memes. There is the meme that says the labels "polly" or "doomer" mean anything at all. Perhaps the biggest and most insidious Y2k meme is the the idea that there is such a thing as Y2k "compliant".

If you are confused by the many conflicting memes about Y2k (as I was) then I suggest you get busy and start doing some serious research. Here is an excellent link from a very credible source. The MITRE corp, which does very high level consultancy work for the govt.

http://www.mitre.org/research/y2k/

Good luck and happy meme busting!

-- Dolma Lhmao (I'm@nonymous.now), November 08, 1999.



A meme is an idea unit, plain and simple.

Several links & quotes

Anyone interested in understanding beyond simple parroting can get some books out of the library on complex systems replication, system cybernetics, etc.

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 08, 1999.


I know you're not Doc Paulie. You look more like Paul Davis.

-- I (can@spot.em), November 08, 1999.

Don't be too tough on Doc, he just made up his mind about Y2K a couple months ago.

;)

Amused Regards,
Andy Ray



-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), November 08, 1999.

These are a few of my favorite memes (thought contagions, esp. those widely believed in spite of there being no evidence to support them, or in spite of there being evidence to the contrary):

Y2K can be solved in the time allotted.

Y2K is a hoax.

Y2K is all hype.

Y2K is just a problem for OTHER countries.

Large companies have Y2K licked, but it is the small ones who will have problems.

Your money is safe in the bank (which implies your money is IN the bank in the first place).

Y2K will be like a 3-day winter storm.

Spending money on Y2K equals solving the problem.

Government regulations about Y2K equals solving the problem.

Companies WILL solve the problem because they want to stay in business.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 08, 1999.


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