http://www.nbnn.com/pubNews/99/141077.html

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Y2K Will Take World By Storm - Report

By Steve Gold, Newsbytes LONDON, ENGLAND, 21 Dec 1999, 7:53 AM CST

With just 10 days to go to the year-end, a report suggests that the world is in it up to its necks as far as the Year 2000 issue. Despite all the billions spent on planning and resolving the problem, the report said that the world is still not ready to meet the challenge.

The report, from BSC Consulting, said that, after careful analysis of information each of the countries reported on around the world, there are still significant problems that will be caused by the various country interconnectedness with other countries.

Put simply, this means that although the US and the Western world have invested much time and money into solving Year 2000 issues, there still will be infrastructure problems as a direct result of the interactions that the West has with other less-prepared nations.

The report acknowledges the late surge of activity around the world to meet the Year 2000 challenge, but said that many governments and business programs have been a mixture of incompetence and complacency.

BSC said that the failure to test IT systems properly and judge knock-on effects of systems failures has led to a staggering reevaluation of countries' preparedness.

Potential Year 2000 problem countries identified by the firm's report include Japan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Australia, Belgium and the UK.

Patrick Moore, BSC Consulting's director said that, to date, analysis of the Year 2000 issue has been undertaken on the wrong assumptions.

"The only way to judge how well a country is doing is not by complacent assurance, but on how rigorous it has been in testing its IT and control systems and whether the interconnectedness is likely to cause related failures," he said.

Moore admitted that the firm's findings will be controversial, as many of the countries found to be in the red category are those believed, to date, to be doing well.

"We are now certain that the world is not prepared enough to avoid disruption and we will now have to wait and see how inconvenient this will be," he said.

Reported by Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com .

07:53 CST Reposted 09:03 CST

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), December 21, 1999

Answers

Excuse me, but the countries listed aren't the usual fare of 3rd world countries. I can see it now, since the US and Canada were not listed, although practically every other Western country was including England (which is no more or less prepared than the US), the blame when things blow up here is going to be laid on Europe.

-- Interested Spectator (is@the_ring.side), December 21, 1999.

Homer, I did a quick search for BSC & found that they were consulting systems engineers.Sadly,nothing I could find on their site about their own report but they have been involved in Y2K work for some of London's big financial companies.

As far as their comments about the Uk is concerned,I must admit I'm not surprised but then I stopped "believing" some time ago.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), December 21, 1999.

Homer,

Thank you for this and all the many consistently high-quality posts that you contribute to this forum. >Snip

"We are now certain that the world is not prepared enough to avoid disruption and we will now have to wait and see how inconvenient this will be," he said. >End

Regarding this article:it this was never brain surgery. End-to-end testing, independent verification, potential cascading cross defaults.

Then, after assessing, tell it like it is.

One reads this article and wonders, "Why now?" What is it in the data that has changed from four months ago, six months ago, even longer? Maybe only perspective.

Today 10, soon 9, then 8...getting closer now.

I am prepared, but I am also hopeful, because I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. But if it turns out, that people knew for sure, and lied, and set people up for a big downfall, then God help us all.

-- rw (ridleywalker@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Simple case in point - UK depends on France for 60% of it's electricity.

January is going to be an INTERESTING month.

-- merville (merville@globalnet.co.uk), December 21, 1999.

Homer,

Thanks for all the good posts. This is excellent. I always look for your sig in the question area!

-- More Dinty Moore (dac@ccrtc.com), December 21, 1999.

rw,

[One reads this article and wonders, "Why now?" What is it in the data that has changed from four months ago, six months ago, even longer? Maybe only perspective.]

No, it's $$$.

It's now time for BIG Corporations to sell off the stock piles of Y2K merchandise before the New Year rolls over. Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Publix, Kroger, etc. don't want to be caught "holding the preps" should Y2K truly turn out to be a BITR.

Look for Wall Street computers to "unexpectedly" (yet conveniently) crash...REAL soon...like over the Christmas weekend, closing all trading markets around the world between December 27 and December 31, 1999. (Folks who had planned on selling off their stocks during the last week before 2000 will be "stuck" and the market will be "saved" from panic selloff should Y2K be a BITR. However, should Y2K bring the world down, those with $$$ in stocks will lose everything.

During this week (December 27 - 31, 1999) the public will finally be "urged" by CORPORATE MEDIA to prepare (in other words, to buy up the inventory now stockpiled by BIG CORPORATE merchants) for "possibly a little more than a BITR".

My neighborhood Wal-Mart has ALREADY (as of yesterday, December 20) removed ALL Christmas stock from the STORE FRONT DISPLAY shelves and replaced them with Y2K prep items. Never have I seen Wal-Mart remove Christmas items on December 20 from the FRONT DISPLAY. It speaks volumes as to their intent.

The Corporate/Government Plan to "manage the herd's response" to Y2K before, during and after the rollover is truly a masterminded plan.

You heard it here first.

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Went to a Wal-Mart in Turlock California last night, and there was not one Christmas light to be had...

-- No Polly (nopolly@hotmail.com), December 21, 1999.

Hadn't been to a WalMart lately, thanks for the posts.

I hadn't considered it this way before. But I agree with you.

-- rw (ridleywalker@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Have found absolutely no Y2K items at Walmart here in central MA. But this state has always been to smart for its own good.

-- Jamie (jamie42861@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

Hey Homer...I want to thank you for the excellent work you do in this forum. Your efforts at research and posting are very much appreciated.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), December 21, 1999.

I'm glad I made the extra trip to Costco today. I almost decided against it.

Had to run into K-mart last night to find some special "solid Red or Green" Santa paper. The front of the store and the front isles inside the store are chalked full of Bulk Items like TP, canned goods etc. The Christmas stuff is off to the side towards the back.

There has been so much spin, I have a hard time believing anything could get the sheeple moving.

Homer, warmest regards to you and yours. Thank you for your relevant posts.

-- (karlacalif@aol.com), December 21, 1999.

MERVILLE: huh? I think what you meant to say is that France depends on NUCLEAR power for 60% of its OWN electricity.

Take a look at an atlas. How can a country separated by 25 miles of Channel from France depend on France for its power? They don't run power export lines through the Chunnel!

France is the MOST nuclear-powered of Western European countries.

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), December 21, 1999.

You've got it all wrong. The government and industry working together on some grand conspiracy to "manage the herds response???" The government personnel are lucky when they can conspire to get to work on time. Units that should be coordinating almost never do (i.e., the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing). Remember they are the one's that are largely responsible for this mess in the first place. Yes, all the spokespeople have learned the art of spin over the last few years. But a sophisticated and coordinated effort to manipulate the masses--NO WAY! The strength of our nation comes from our heritage of rugged individualism combined with our capacity to work together to overcome great odds. That's what will save us. Our history is rife with examples of this. The preparations that many of you espouse reflect this can-do attitude (no government needed--we'll do it ourselves). My favorite example is the Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea, 1950. Look it up.

-- Fitbone (happy@home.com), December 21, 1999.

HB, great post as usual.

GoldReal,

Your right. I heard it here first.

WalMart, who came out of the backwoods to become the world's largest retailer joins in a conspiracy with Uncle Sam to maximize profits. That doesn't past the ROTFLMAO test. The point being, WalMart doesn't need the federal government and never did.

You can do better than that. My neighborhood Wal-Mart has ALREADY (as of yesterday, December 20) removed ALL Christmas stock from the STORE FRONT DISPLAY shelves and replaced them with Y2K prep items. Never have I seen Wal-Mart remove Christmas items on December 20 from the FRONT DISPLAY. It speaks volumes as to their intent.

The Corporate/Government Plan to "manage the herd's response" to Y2K before, during and after the rollover is truly a masterminded plan.

You heard it here first.

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), December 21, 1999

-- gary (a@a.com), December 21, 1999.

Goldreal blabbers........... "Look for Wall Street computers to "unexpectedly" (yet conveniently) crash...REAL soon...like over the Christmas weekend, closing all trading markets around the world between December 27 and December 31, 1999. (Folks who had planned on selling off their stocks during the last week before 2000 will be "stuck" and the market will be "saved" from panic selloff should Y2K be a BITR. However, should Y2K bring the world down, those with $$$ in stocks will lose everything."

Goldreal, take some more prozac........

I'm trying to find a polite way to tell you that you're full of shit but I can't seem to find the words.........

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), December 22, 1999.

profit_of_doom: UK does not DEPEND on France but France does supply the UK National Grid: there is a 2,000 MW direct current link between England and France Link

-- Risteard mac Thomais (uachtaran@ireland.com), December 22, 1999.

REVERSE REVERSE REVERSE

-- oopsie (backward@out.of.my.way!), December 22, 1999.