Could testing on all important systems be handled well before end of year and at a time when the weather throughout the US is pleasant? (entire month of Sept.) Maybe Labor day holiday could last a week and the country could practice some survival skills. Power grid first, followed by telephone and banking etc. The idea of waiting until the last minute and making one big roll of the dice .... unhappy new year! If we go down in Jan. (no power) we won't just go back to 1900, we will revert to the Dark Ages!

-- ronbanks (phxbanks@webtv.net), November 24, 1998

Answers

Ron, Ron, Ron......

This sounds like an OK idea on it's face value... but who is going to be in charge of the planning and co-ordination of these end to end tests. Take the Power grid for instance. Are all the utilities going to be have their Y2K fixes done by then? And if they don't want to participate in the test are you going to force them? Only the goverment has that kind of power. What happens to a public traded Utility's stock when word gets out that they failed miserably? This is why you should read Ed's comments on Clinton's speech. There are a lot of lines to read between in that speech!

My prediction.....

Next spring is when the congress or executive branch will begin to act. Their solution to fix the problem will be the classic dilemma all late software projects are subjected to - they will add more people to fix the problem! Read Brook's book "The Mythical Man Month" to see what happens when you add more people to a late software project. I'll give you a short synopsis - the project gets later!

Then who knows....?????

-- John Thyfault (john.thyfault@mci.com), November 24, 1998.

Funny you should mention that...I brought this up briefly on another thread. I have a friend who is a prime contractor for ComEd. He mentioned to me, in casual conversation, that the utilties would be testing their grid in April and then again in September. I was not at liberty at the time to ask the details - but I do know it was part of some "government sponsored (per se)" nation wide test. Again, I don't know the details so I am not sure how they are going to force every utility company across America to play the game. Can someone else confirm this????

-- Christine A. Newbie (here@gone.now), November 24, 1998.

FYI - The MBA is using 2/99 thru 6/99 for Industry Wide testing. FNMA & FHLMC are mandating their servicers participate in this test. Future-dated infrastructure will be in place so no one infects production environments. We're talking a test base of 1500-2000 companies all testing at once - taxing authorities, credit bureau reporting agencies, property inspectors, lockbox processors and many, many more. Like I've said before - the financial industry is way ahead of the game. MOST will make it in plenty of time. Admittingly, some won't. Should be a hoot! Stay tuned.........

-- deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), November 25, 1998.