Did you guys see the Wired articles in the April issue by Ellen Ullman? Sorry if this has been talked about before, I don't keep up. Anyway, a guy from an oil rig control station took her into the control center and set the computers to shortly before midnight on Dec 31, 1999 and let them rollover. The oil kept flowing, but the measurement of how much was going where had a date-time stamp which was screwy. As a result, the Scada system couldn't compute the billing. The guy's comment was that they were required to shut down operations if they the Scada stopped working.

It's the issue with the black cover.

-- Amy (leoneamy@aol.com), April 02, 1999

Answers

Yes Amy, I also read those articles in "Wired" . Very revealing about the way people behave y=under duress. A prolonged breakdown of systems however, will bring about the best and the worst in all of us. Remember the generators in the article? The most valuable (short of toilet paper) that one could have. I have one now and am getting a larger one to have as backup for neighbors and other emergencies. A big one on a trailer. Roght now people are in denial land - thinking things will be fine. Things won't be fine - when the system breaks, it will be hell ti pay. If one has not prepared physically and pshcologically for this, then they will be hard pressed to stay alaive even. Good luck to you and all who read this thread.

Bob

-- Bob pilcher (rpilc99206@aol.com), April 02, 1999.

The articles are now available at Wired's site.

http://www.wired.com/wi red/current.html

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), April 02, 1999.

the most interesting part of the wired articles was when some people in the shelter refused to go for showers, they were so paranoid. in a small town, yet.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), April 03, 1999.

The articles won't be available online until 4/13.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), April 03, 1999.