Lately we have been seeing a lot of problems that have been attributed to Y2K while the news sources state that they are NOT Y2K related.

What is interesting to me is that after being on the TB forums for several years, the level of failures reported in the media is increasing - even beyond the level of failures and problems that were noted by the forum participants just over the last few months.

Whether or not these problems are really Y2K related is not the point. We seem to be experiencing a broad array of failures across the face of our technological infrastructure. In other words maybe we are beginning to see an iceberg reveal itself of which Y2K was just the tip.

It doesn't matter to me whether you are a doomer, polly or somewhere in the middle, I believe it is important that we all keep our eyes open regarding the problems that are appearing.

p.s. I am not prep retailer and I do not have a book I am trying to sell either.

-- ExCop (yinadral@hotmail.com), January 06, 2000

Answers

As time goes on we may see an increasing level of failures. These could be implied to be "Y2K Type" problems, based on the sheer volume. We will see if the level reaches what "the common man" (legal meaning) would believe to be reasonably y2k related.

Since there are obvious reasons for businesses and governments not to report them as such, I believe that we will need a higher level of failures to be critically more certain of the cause. All of these failures need to be viewed as objectively as possible.

At some point, if the gross level of publicly visible faults rises high enough, it will be obvious to most that many are y2k related.

But even at the high level, many people will be reluctant to change their minds as to the probable cause. A few very high profile faults would tip the scale in the direction of people awareness.

Watch, wait and note the failures as they come. We may be the only canaries in the mine.

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), January 06, 2000.

Good points Snooze button.

-- JoseMiami (caris@prodigy.net), January 06, 2000.

"I believe it is important that we all keep our eyes open regarding the problems that are appearing."

I agree, and that is my main reason for staying active on this forum. I wish there was a way to gauge whether or not the amount of the mishaps have actually increased, or if we are just paying the a LOT more heed. Time will tell, I suppose. If in 3 months the price of gas is $3.00, the stock market has crashed, and we find huge gaps in inventory at retail outlets we might have a clue. Personally I doubt any of this is going to happen, but it may. If one takes into account just how many systems there are out there that are NOT crashing at this point (which is unknowable except in theory or by personal experience...none of MY tech toys have died thusfar), we can perhaps extrapolate SOME vague notion of what the consequences MAY be. But it would prbably be wrong...

Ain't ambiguity grand?

John Ludi

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), January 06, 2000.

That's it, John. Just too many variables.

I read these postings and watch the local brownouts and feel it is all being held together with duct tape. Thank goodness for duct tape--it's COLD here in Pennsylvania. Pam

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), January 06, 2000.

Just remember, glitches that are glitches, are not glitches. These are all irrational, figments of our paranoid imaginations. Yeah sure!

Common sense should prevail, that dozens of people who post events, that can only be related to some type of malfunction, are not inmates of an asylum.

Normal people reporting some not so normal events.

Find out who owns the media, and you'll find out who doesn't want any adverse information released.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), January 06, 2000.

People here have been watching for glitches and reporting them here for two years. Of course there is a drastic increase now. These are Y2K problems whether attributed or not.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), January 06, 2000.

My personal guage of the situation, is the gas pump: when the prices start to skyrocket, then hell is loose. So far here the prices have not budged one or more cents. Also another guage is the price you see at the supermarket. This two guages cover shipping and oil supplies. Also as the post above stated, I am also watching the rise in just what is "NORMAL EVER DAY," types of accidents. I also monitor this forum for what is happening in the other parts. I also scan Drudge, and USA today. If one searches diligently,a bit here and a bit there, then the overall picture can be seen. As if I could do one damned thing about it. It is just for informational purposes. When you are on the deck of a sinking ship, there isn't an awful lot you can do.

-- Notforlong (Fsur439@aol.com), January 06, 2000.