If you want to write a letter to the editor of your paper and this fits, please feel free to use it.

Dear Editor,

By now most, not all, but most Americans are familiar with the termY2K. Of those that are familiar with the term, unfortunately, only a few comprehend the significance. However, by now, Y2K has influenced most people's lives to one extent or another. If you are a child, you missed out on Hershey's Halloween candy. If you are a senior, you may have received a notice from social security with the incorrect ss#. If you collect Dalton China, you're miffed. Actually the list of Y2K related problems to date is significant. But who knew? Did you know about Hershey's? Probably not. Why? Because the very companies and government that brought you this thing called Y2K don't want you to think. They don't want you to think and focus on the problem. They don't want you to put the facts together. They don't want you to take your eye off the stock market. I don't care what you think Y2K may bring to us, whether it is a non-event or lights out plays no part in this opinion.

The facts are; 1.The problem called Y2K was created over 40 years ago. 2. Could it have been fixed years ago? Yes. 3. Did corporate and government leaders ignore the problem for years and years? Yes. 4. Are they accepting responsibility for this situation? No! 5. What are they telling you? Don't over react and everything will be okay. (Translated means; if it goes bad it will be your fault.) Question; how did the shoe get on the other foot?

Just remember that if government and corporate America had done their job, we would ONLY be contemplating celebrating the new century not surviving it!

-- UR2Blame (upower@jnb.com), December 08, 1999

Answers

I think that's "Doulton". If you want an editor's buy-in, do your homework.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), December 08, 1999.

And the top ten list of entities most liekly to fail are:

10. Federal government agencies.

9. State and local governments.

8. State and local governments.

7. State and local governments.

6. State and local governments.

5. State and local governments.

4. State and local governments.

3. State and local governments.

2. Local school boards and their schools.

1. Colleges and universities.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 08, 1999.

Robert,

you forgot the SME's and your local loan & savings bank

-- Rainbow (Rainbow@123easy.net), December 08, 1999.

"Did you know about Hersheys? Probably not." I would guess the editor probably did know about Hersheys. There was a wire story about the Hershey's glitch that was run in many daily newspaper business sections months ago. It was an isolated brief. Then, closer to Halloween, the story resurfaced. But there are many things the editor probably does not know about. Perhaps the details of the Nov. 9 meeting Koskinen had with technical experts about embedded systems threats. O well.

-- (normally@ease.notnow), December 08, 1999.