Media Exploits Quick Critics, But Misses Real Story

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Media Exploits Quick Critics, But Misses Real Story

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Published Monday, January 3, 2000

By Charlie Register As wire reports of a successful transition came in from all over the world this weekend, the preponderance of normalcy allowed some critics to openly speculate in the press that the Year 2000 Computer Problem was over-hyped. This left none other than the much-maligned U.S. government's Y2K guru John Koskinen defending the significance of the problem and the money spent on it.

Stories appearing the Sunday edition's of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post had Y2K alarmists already on the defensive, despite the fact the most businesses had yet to ramp up their systems after being down over the transition weekend. From the Times we read: "After the years of work and billions of dollars spent repairing the 2000 computer glitch, the technological tranquillity of New Year's Day has raised a new concern that the United States overreacted to this problem."

"I think we have been had," said Paul Strassman, former chief information officer of the Pentagon, Xerox Corp. and General Foods. "The United States has been ransomed. The psychology of the Y2K funding was basically confronting management with extreme demands for which there was no rationale whatsoever."

But at one of the many Y2K briefings held at the ICC in Washington, Y2K White House Chief Koskinen disputed that notion. "I don't know anyone who's spent any time on this problem at all who doubts that, had the effort not been made, had the money not been spent, we would be in a very different situation here right now," said Koskinen.

The Post article echoed Koskinen's beliefs in an interview with Washington, DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams. The city, once viewed as hopelessly behind because of its tardiness in addressing Y2K, transcended the date change harmlessly, but not because the problem was harmless.

"The fact I think we haven't seen many problems was not because there really wasn't a Y2K issue," said Williams in the Post. "It threatened the very foundation and infrastructure of the city, the basic delivery of services in the public and private sector." Williams added that the cost of bringing DC up to date technologically, so to speak, was not too high. "You know no one's doing a cost-benefit analysis of Normandy (D-Day). We had to do Y2K. It's on that order of magnitude," Williams told the Post.

The angle of a skeptic's view is a natural for the press, considering their emphasis on only the most dire analysis of the problem pre-rollover. Hence they were quick to seek out Dennis Olson, the Hudson, Wisconsin electrical engineer and computer consultant who spent $20,000 getting ready for Y2K problems.

A story by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that made the wires and even FOX-TV News and CNN, highlighted the Olson family's quest for clues as to what Y2K might bring. In describing Olson, the reporter, Peter Maller, who spent the rollover with the family, said: Olson said he logged more than 1,000 hours on the Internet chatting with like-minded survivalists. He devoured esoteric bits of knowledge, learning how to carve out an existence in the world gone haywire.

"I studied everything there was to know about the power grid, the just-in-time supply system, fuel shipments, food storage, communications and martial law," he said. "I even have a medical kit equipped for minor surgery."

But while wire services and network television were quick to highlight Olson's stockpile of several hundred boxes of Hamburger Helper, loads of pasta soup and toothpaste, they failed to mention what may be the biggest aspect of the Olson story, taking in an 11-day-old infant and mother they didn't previously know.

The newborn was advertised for adoption on the Internet by the grandparents who were gravely concerned for its future. "The grandparents of the baby wanted to see him go to a family that was prepared for Y2K," Olson told the reporter, Peter Maller. The Olsons ultimately took in both the child, Michael Lee Berks, and mother, Jennifer Berks, at least temporarily to ride out the rollover.

This shatters the conventional stereotype the media perpetuated about the "survivalists" of Y2K. While they were busy seeking out those who bury school buses to hide from a Y2K induced nuclear holocaust, or families that reverted back to the agrarian lifestyle of the early 1900s, the impression of them has been one of selfishness and isolationism. Yet for many who were proactive about preparing for problems simply because the stakes were high and the outcome uncertain, their doors were plainly open to those they could help. This is just another example of the media missing the real story of Y2K.

As for the Olson family, while they are happy enough that the rollover went well that Dennis did the "happy dance," they will stay on their guard for problems that might arise starting this week and on into early summer. Dennis now calls himself "cautiously optimistic," saying if the summer passes without incident, "some food banks are going to experience a real big bonanza."

As for baby Michael, Olson said the mother and grandparents are considering raising the child themselves, at least for a while. For the present, mother and son remain in the Olson household. Dennis, however, said he won't mind a donation of some baby items, i.e. diapers, formula.

"When we got into this, I didn't expect a newborn in the house," Olson said, who already has two other children.

Note: Anyone wishing to contribute to Michael Lee Berks care can contact Charlie Register directly by email, and we will make arrangements to get donations to the Olsons.

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@AOL.COM), January 03, 2000

Answers

Thank you for sharing this beautiful story with us. I wondered what became of that young mother and her child. What a lovely family the Olsons are, to have opened their home at such a time.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), January 04, 2000.

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