Yesterday (11.24.1998) I opened my morning paper to find a picture of Jerry Falwell with a story quoting him as saying y2k is God's wake-up call and he's stocking food, water, and ammo. Later that day my new Newsweek arrived, and inside is a picture of Scott Olmstead at his desert retreat with a story about y2k alarmists. (It was, all in all, not the hatchet job I've seen elsewhere.) Then I open my evening paper (I read a LOT of print media -- ignore tv entirely.) to a story about Congressman Horn giving the federal government a failing y2k grade. Three hits in one day is a new record. Is this a spike or are other people in this forum seeing similar growing public awareness?

Separate question: My family and I are traveling over the holidays, by air, heading home Jan. 2, 1999. Anyone have any info on Joanne Effect as it concerns 757s, especially in light of the fact that the 747s -- older, less computerized -- have something like 16,000 chips in them?

-- JDClark (yankeejdc@aol.com), November 25, 1998

Answers

I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding the Jo Anne Effect and your flight. I think the Jo Anne Effect applies only to foward looking accounting software.

Mike ====

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), November 25, 1998.

My take is that Y2K has sort of reached the level of awareness of being recognized as a potential problem, even a "household word" as the saying goes, but John Q. Public is under the illusion that "they are working on it", "it will get fixed on time", etc. Certainly, the idea that this problem could in any way cause any type of life threatening chaos, much less long term life threating chaos, is not in people's thinking. And, perhaps most importantly, Y2K is still thought of as being literally a problem that will not come until Jan 1, 2000.

This game will end, I predict, come April 1999 with fiscal year 2000 rollovers. Then people will see -- and many will experience first hand -- that Y2K is real and powerful. And, that the situation is hopeless, cannot be fixed, with the worst (e.g., embedded chips) yet to come.

BTW, re the "Joanne Effect": Not only will it only affect very specific financial software systems, but it will probably not be all that hard to remedy, and could easily be used as a "living example" of how "Y2K problems" can be fixed without too much hassle. Don't be fooled!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), November 25, 1998.

Why is it that people always need examples of y2k problems actually happening I mean, why don't they just look at the code.

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), November 25, 1998.

Awareness? Minimal. I hear "They're working on it, they'll fix it." "My computer is OK." "I don't have a computer so it won't affect me." "I have a Mac so it won't affect me." "I hate computers anyway. I hope they all crash."

From the techies I hear "I'll take my money out of the bank in December next year." Store & bank clerks appear totally clueless.

And THAT'S IT FOLKS. Not a word about storing food, water or anything else. People either have zero interest & concern OR they are preparing in silence (maybe not a bad idea). I work at a university, so those around me are slightly smarter/better informed than the national average. Scarey.

-- Ben Dair (not@aol.com), November 25, 1998.

It will just keep growing, bit by bit. We can help it if everytime we see an article, a news story, a TV show, etc., we send in our thoughts. I just hope, as a nation, we will decide to pay attention to the Y2K people problem, not just the Y2K computer problem.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 25, 1998.

I deplore the idea that a minister is stating publicly that he is stockpiling ammunition, but perhaps the general awareness level will go up...I sent both of my sisters, neither of whom is an ignoramus, an article on Y2K/preparedness; nary a peep out of either of them.

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), November 25, 1998.

Based on the folks I have talked with:

30% - What's Y2K?

50% - Heard of it, no clue what the ramifications are

18% - Heard of it, have some idea there will be problems

02% - Aware, but only some preparing

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), November 25, 1998.

Early adopters usually lead on the bell curves, and become teachers and guides when there is a trend brewing. Keep on trending!

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 25, 1998.

I talked to my stock broker today and HE brought up Y2K. I acted like I didn't know what he was talking about. He said "there's nothing to Y2K, and people who are reporting horrifying stories about Y2K should be silenced. He suggested that I keep investing more money into the stock market." I just stood there and looked at him with a smile on my face.

-- bardou (bardou@baloeny.com), November 25, 1998.

My kids will know I'm serious when they each find a Baygen radio under the Christmas tree.

Hull

-- Hull Stetson (stetson.hull@usa.net), November 25, 1998.

By the way...My kids are all grown up with families of their own.

Hull

-- Hull Stetson (stetson.hull@usa.net), November 25, 1998.

uh, J.D., I think we probably all saw the same stories in various media, but that's because we're looking for them. I've had people come up to me and hand me print media stories (such as the NewsWeek piece) because they remember that I'm 'interested in that sort of thing'. From their remarks I can discern that they too have read the story, BUT THEY STILL AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT ARGGHHH!!!

Washington DC - inside the belljar, er, beltway... Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), November 25, 1998.

Well, if public awareness hasn't taken a jump, it will starting Monday, at least in "38 states and half of Canada" as the relevant radio station likes to say. 1100 WTAM (used to be WWWE) will start a 10 part series Monday titled "Y2K Count Down to Chaos?" The teasers are VERY Doombrood friendly. We'll see how balanced they are!!

I will also try to catch times and post them somewhere here.

chuck driving to distraction ( It's a short trip lately!!)

-- Chuck etc (rienzoo@en.com), November 26, 1998.

I think that people don't want to believe that things will collapse. Even the 60 Minute program didn't tell people to prepare. I just don't know what to do. Should we stay here and keep preparing or should we "bug out"?

-- Frances Gatch (Fran44@aol.com), December 01, 1998.