Aside from Colin from Great Britain and a new contributor "rainbow" from Germany and all those from Canada of course, this board is sorely under represented for the entire Y2K experience. I'm sure somebody can remember a post from Mexico but I don't but the U.S. has exported a huge number of manufacturing jobs and continues to do so and except for Homer Beanfangs posts ABOUT other countries I haven't seen that much input FROM other countries.

Its NOT only about OUR weaknesses and that seems to be the emphasis. I read, I think it was about Vietnam which had so much pirated software they couldn't go to the suppliers for fixes for that very reason. I would think that would be a key issue for bringing a country up to snuff but that idea hasn't dawned on this forum that we are internationally dependent (at least not very much, except for oil). But like Decker says, there are redundancies, perhaps China will pick up the slack or perhaps the Philippines? There has been an absolute dearth of newsreports about Japan. If anybody out there that is not concerned about our own preparedness then what about Japans - what do you know about Japans preparedness? - I've seen next to nothing except what Homer posts. Remember how Japan thought they were prepared for the next big earthquake? Remember how they initially refused our help? Remember how they thought their raised highways were earthquake proof? I have a friend that has a small electronics factory in Taiwan and he says the chip shortage was a sham. Those big factories were up and running within a few days after the earthquake but the chip prices slammed a number of our hardware companies in the bottom line. Now how many of you can substantiate or refute that statement! Virtually none because we don't know what the hell is going on out there. An earlier post mentioned that Russia was reducing its flow of natural gas to Turkey due to "cold weather". How many of you caught that? How many heads did that little factoid fly over. Probably because it didn't matter since it was an "overseas" problem but it was definitely a clue to the "big picture".

Bottom line and please Colin and a few others, the contribution has been about 95% American and American related problems (I understand that too) but its a global thermoeconomic war. The fallout is going to hit the jetstream. How many here understand the unique software problems for other countries? Or do we merely export programmers and engineers and everything is done in English with native English programmers and engineers? My wife is from the Ukraine and I can't understand her half the time (I hope I don't regret saying that, I do listen, I can't mind read, I have to ask for clarification all the time and she used to be an English teacher there).

In a roundabout way, I'm merely saying that our VISION of and/or the SCOPE of Y2K (expressed here in this forum) is still myopic.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), November 30, 1999

Answers

And your point is?

If we talk about what we have an understanding about we are on safe ground. If we don't talk about other countries (except in vague interconnected economic way) we are US centric (bad, interculturally very bad). If we talk about other countries then we are guessing and not talking with any authority (bad, logically very bad). And so... we talk about the US.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), November 30, 1999.

Come on Squid, Guy has a valid point. Y2K is a universal world problem. So is the Internet. What he is asking, IMHO, is for internet users other than the U.S. to post their observations concerning their own country's status.

-- Tommy Rogers (Been there@Just a Thought.com), November 30, 1999.

For what it's worth, my best friend works for a Japanese tech company, with plants here in the US. He says the attitude in Japan has been "Just wait, those Americans will figure this one out". He said the management was slow to allocate resources because of their confidence in US engineers to do the R&D in time for them. They just didn't grasp the complexity, which seems to be the global trend, huh?

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), November 30, 1999.

Hokie - Thanks, those are the kind of snippets that round out "the whole picture".

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), November 30, 1999.

Good Day Guy & Squid!

IN THE SPIRIT OF "CANADIAN BACON"... You touch on alot of issues, whether you know it or not. First, don't worry about appearing "US-centric". I don't think anybody really minds. This IS Ed Yourdon's forum, yes? Canadians and Americans have a truly bizarre friendship--we make cruel fun of each other, all the while accepting that we depend upon each other for our way of life!

Yes, our two nations will directly affect each other upon rollover. Any impacts on either of us WILL hit the other guy. Indirectly, impacts on other nations will hit us too...with some delay period (hopefully more than 7 minutes worth of ICBM flight!)

IMHO, your achille's heel is trusting your leadership. North of 49, we commonly laugh at our leadership and often just ignore laws that contradict common sense or offend our sensibilities, "everything's legal 'til you get caught--if you get caught, take it like a man..."

How come I got stares of horror when--while visiting Tampa--I put ketchup on my grits?????

This baffles me...

-- (Kurt.Borzel@gems8.gov.bc.ca), November 30, 1999.

Most of the people in the U.S.A. aren't posting here. I think in most cases this is because they have no conception of the potential problems. Isn't it reasonable to assume that the same applies to almost everyone who isn't posting here, no matter where they live?

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), November 30, 1999.

Ketchup on grits?

-- The Whistler (I'm Here, I'm There, I'm Everywhere@so.beware), December 01, 1999.

Hey, what am I,chopped liver???? I live in Italy! I have seen posts from Japan, where I used to live before this. A good friend is in Singapore (big DGI).....I read stuff from all over all the time..

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 01, 1999.

Guy... I trust you will find a substantial amount of international information (especially about Japan) in the unclassified archives

-- PNG (png@gol.com), December 01, 1999.

Kurt old buddy

Let's see Ketchup on your grits and gravy on your french fries. Oh and you allow people who speak a silly language like French govern their own province. I think we can basically ignore the Canadians (wink).

Its silly but the rest of the world may really just assume that we have a handle on this. They must be leading us their out in front, right?

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), December 01, 1999.

Yikes, don't trust me about UK information, I'm now making the Y2K news over here. Follow this link to see how totally disinterested the UK media is in Y2K. :(

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), December 01, 1999.

Ah-ha! I knew you lot been thinkin' that Bermuda belonged to the U.S.! We're 700mi. off your east coast,and still a British Territory. Anyhow, I'll let you know if there is anything of interest.And even if I don't post often,I've been replying as of late!

I am still........on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), December 01, 1999.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has Y2K information on around 140 countries (the number grows periodically as reports come in).

http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/dynpage.asp?Page=144

There are some foreign newspaper links here:

http://www.middlebury.edu/~gferguso/news.html

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 01, 1999.

Colin I checked your link.

Colin what does: "We won't let something like a catastrophe get in the way of our elevenses", mean?

Elevenses doesn't have anything to do with tea, does it?

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 01, 1999.

Ynott - I see 10 times more material on chemtrails than on overseas situations. Where have I been, reading the posts on this board (or should I say, skipping most of them).

I've seen the odd once-in-a-blue moon article on Italy including the one about the 23 yr old getting a job offer for Aviano. But since Italy is supposed to be one of the least prepared in Europe, a country of over 58 million - I would expect to see a lot more. It seems to be chemtrail month on this board. Bermuda! Its great to hear from you but a disruption in Bermudas economy will have no impact on the U.S. whatsoever.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 01, 1999.

Someone who lives in Japan was posting on csy2k until a month or so ago. He was very concerned about y2k and has moved into the country. From what I have read, I get the impression that big companies have been addressing y2k, but medium size and smaller companies have not made much progress. I also get the impression that the government has not done very much remediation. Overall, Japan is a huge unknown as far as y2k is concerned.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), December 01, 1999.

O.K. Guy, now I'm really hurt. I guess you haven't heard anything about Bermuda since your momma & daddy came here for their honeymoon. Think reinsurance.Think CATASTROPHIC REINSURANCE (The insurance company's,insurance company's last resort insurers)Think 1st jurisdiction to have E-Commerce legislation.Think International Banking. Think U.S.Coast Guard.......Then you can stop and go back to thinking about how beautiful it is here! And BTW..we're listed as just ahead of the U.S. for preparedness(not that this makes me feel any better)

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), December 01, 1999.

Guy....

Think "language barrier". Have you ever tried to pop into a non- english forum? Believe it or not there are many peoples in many nations that do not speak/read/write ie. communicate in English.

As for the press snipets coming out of Foreign Nations that Homer posts for us think....the US does not own the paten on Spin. Irregardless of Kens earlier fallacious post on "the incentive NOT to lie about Y2K"....there is a great deal of unease on this forum regarding the "global" implications of Y2K. The barriers to "information" is worse globally than it is locally.

-- bestguessesonly (karlacalif@aol.com), December 01, 1999.

Wow - bestguesses only, you said,

"Think "language barrier". Have you ever tried to pop into a non- english forum? Believe it or not there are many peoples in many nations that do not speak/read/write ie. communicate in English."

Lets see, we have military bases all over the world. I presume they speak English and on a huge tour through Europe, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia I found LOTS of english speaking people. Let me think, the third largest english speaking country in the world is: yes, the Philippines - because English is mandatory in schools there - English is mandatory in the Netherlands - need I go on? Also I don't have any problems finding pen pals in English all over the world.

As far as spin is concerned you didn't read my post very closely. I noted the spin that Russia had on why they couldn't supply as much natural gas as usual to Turkey "because of cold weather", HOWEVER, it was still reported that they were shorting Turkey which is all I need to be informed.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 01, 1999.

Guy Daley,

thank you for your post. I appoligize that I - for my person - cannot go with you.

Yes, there are many taxi crivers on the world as wll as many people on airports / hotels etc. that SPEAK English.

But who is able to write down his/her thoughts without major miss- spelling? Who is able to express his/her concerns to a widly known forum of critical readers in a foreign language?

I have worked several years for US and UK cos knowing a little about your (US) culture (of discussing / reading / writing) AND i'm not longer afraid of making mistakes. (Sorry, little anecdote: Once I was in Seattle for a job interview with a US co. While having dinner I stated that this is a BIG country with BIG people - in means of great guyz) The very FAT manager looked at me as if he wants to EAT ME UP>!!!!!!!

o.k.

Back, this is a global issue, as bubblefish doesn't support us so well, we've to discuss in English - da Dein Deutsch wahrscheinlich nicht sehr gut ist.

-- Rainbow (Rainbow@123easy.net), December 01, 1999.