Y2K Benefits?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

What benefits may we have gained due to the Y2K computer problems? Consider two that come to mind:

1) Many of the Y2K team leaders were women and minorities (Out of proportion to their numbers in the IT workforce.). This success will no doubt enhance careers.

2) Since the job was against a fixed deadline, and IT has historically had a problem meeting fixed deadlines, some valuable lessons may have been learned. If so, they may be applied to other IT projects...which may come in on time.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), January 03, 2000

Answers

I think the biggest positive is that it has forced so many people to think globally. We will have a lot more challenges coming and this has been good training.

-- billy d (bdangelo1@home.com), January 03, 2000.

4) Camping supplies will last forever;

5) Learned 3 new recipes for making tuna salad --one of them just today;

6) Will repost later with Number 6.

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-- SH (squirrel@huntr.com), January 03, 2000.


I betcha that a lot of undocumented procedures became better understood and redesigned.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), January 03, 2000.

The reason that the project was finished on time is because there was little or nothing to fix. How come Russia is OK? How come Italy is OK? How come the rest of Europe spent so little started so late and still finished on time with no problems.

No the people on these projects fixed insignificant bugs in two to three times the calendar time and budget as the programmers in the rest of the world.

In my little company we have adopted FOF and so far we have no problems either.

Can you please explain that?

-- William R. Sullivan (wrs@wham.com), January 03, 2000.


7) Many of us are far better prepared for the natural (and unnatural) disasters that may impact our lives. Food, water, generators, skills, etc.

8) Many of us may be living less stressful, more healthy lives. Think FRESH eggs, for example! (Others of us managed to keep our old, stressful jobs...)

9) New hobbies. I know of at least a couple of individuals who are now licensed amateur radio operators. Not to mention the number of people who are, as we communicate, engaged in mud wrestling!

10) New friends.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), January 03, 2000.



11. Companies know PR guys lie better than techies. How will this impact the corporate world? Less powerful promotion opportunities?

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 03, 2000.

After 2 years following this forum I have learned a lot.

How fragile the infrastructure is.

JIT inventory.

How mean and disruptive people can be.

A lot about the banking system.

Since I live in Cascadia my earthquake kit is much improved. I might be able to handle an 8.5 (earthquake)

And the beat goes on.

Martin

-- Martin Thompson (Martin@aol.com), January 03, 2000.


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