Latest poll on U.S. public's Y2K awareness and concern

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I just saw a new poll that includes info on public awareness and concern regarding Y2K. Here's the Y2K part of it:

"Americans are very well aware of the Y2K computer problem. Nearly eight in 10 say they know about it, while almost a third say it is a very serious problem. When given a list of potential problems that could result from Y2K computer malfunctions, more Americans (30%) are worried Social Security and other government benefits won't be provided. Just more than one in five are worried by the prospect of losing banking and insurance company records because of Y2K."

The link is...

http://nt.excite.com/news/pr/981208/tx-shell-poll

So the public finds it somewhat likely that government benefits could be interrupted? Diane, have you gotten in touch with the AARP yet? 8-)

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 09, 1998

Answers

Scratch that last link to the poll. Here's a much better one, with more Y2K details:

http://www.countonshell.com/SOC/ShellPoll/Millennium/mill_3.html

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 09, 1998.


Hi Kevin, no haven't contacted AARP. Someone else needs to tackle that one for the time being. I'm sticking with the newsmedia for now. Best chance, IMHO for a "wake the nation" action/reaction.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.


Curious - that seems to say that more people know about Y2K than know the name of the vice president. So much for the public being in denial.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.

Paul,

Your logic is faulty here. Rather than refuting that the public is in denial, the statistics actually support that conclusion.

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.


Kevin, the Shell Poll only says that the poll was conducted by Washington, D.C.-based Peter D. Hart Research Associates " one of the nation's leading surveyors of public opinion."

There's nothing explaining how the research was conducted. Was it a phone poll? Via the net? Or via print media? To really get a cross section you'd have to poll via several routes, to reach every class, gender and mentality. This poll isn't very reliable to me.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 09, 1998.



I have learned that you can have awareness without realization. (what??) Yep, that's right. You can be aware of y2k and the potential problems but not realize that you need to get prepared, and now. I know quite a few people who are aware of y2k but they aren't doing much to secure and prepare their families, other than not making plans for travel in Dec. 1999.

A new sniglet for you. The GIBAP's

GOT IT BUT AREN'T PREPARING

-- Goldi (goldilucks@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.


Chris,

I wondered about the accuracy of the poll, too. Especially these figures on how seriously Y2K is taken by the public--

31% very serious

40% somewhat serious

22% not that serious

1% not a problem at all

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 09, 1998.


It all depends on what the respondents (not the pollsters) mean by serious -- doesn't it? For some people "serious" is an underdone soft-boiled egg -- for others it might be something else.

A poll consisting of choices from a list of expected outcomes would be more informative.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), December 09, 1998.


There's been a lot of flap about Win 98 not being compliant lately... yesterday it made the city's biggest morning talk show news.

I think this may subliminally remove the MS Silver Bullet presumption that DGIs have in their heads... "Microsoft can't fix it? If Microsoft can't fix it..."

This may make them more malleable to the truth.

-- Lisa (here@work.com), December 09, 1998.


I think most expect Microsoft to come out with something at the last moment so they can make the most money. A lot of the people I've spoken to have said that.

-- Leo (leo_champion@hotmail.com), December 09, 1998.


There's an old joke here in DC about the politician who was elected Vice President "and was never heard from again"...looks like y2k ain't all that far behind...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), December 09, 1998.


Lisa,

Ii hope you meant "Amenable" to the truth. "Maleable" would suggest we're using a hammer and anvil and, somehow, the picture just doesn't..........

cr

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 09, 1998.


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