If most of the remediation is already done, then why can't companies fix the problems as they occur after 1-1-00? Not all problems will occur at that time from what I gather, and will be stretched out over months. So why then won't they be able to fix them as they occur if most systems are already compliant or almost compliant? Am I missing something here?

-- Diane (prepare@highlandtraders.com), May 19, 1999

Answers

* * * 19990519 Wednesday

Diane,

FOF ( Fix On Failure ) is not a viable strategy due to sheer numbers and lack of resources when there's no assurance you'll have the power grid to accomplish these tasks. ( Doh! ).

Arizona farmers required 3 months to fix one-third of the now- computer-controlled irrigation systems in their fields ( August- November 1998 )! Testimony before Sen. Bennett ( March/April? 1999! ) from President of Farmers organization said it was fortunate they found the problems _then_ ... NOT AFTER 12-31-00!

To reiterate a weary rhetorical questions: "If 'they' say the fixes can be done over the New Year's weekend/week, why don't 'they' just fix them this coming weekend/week and be done with it all?"

Answer: It can't be done!! Doh!!

Get it?

I wish you well.

Regards, Bob Mangus < mailto:rmangus@hotmail.com > * * *

-- Robert Mangus (rmangus@hotmail.com), May 19, 1999.

"...why can't companies fix the problems as they occur...?"

Some of them probably intend to. The strategy is called Fix on Failure (FoF). Wish them luck.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), May 19, 1999.

Robert, My question was hypothetical in nature. My husband believes that there are just more specialist working on the problems now because of time constraints and therefore computers are becoming compliant at a faster rate. Therefore, when Y2K hits there won't be as much to fix and more people to fix them. Is he far off the mark. Duh

-- Diane (prepare@highlandtraders.com), May 19, 1999.

Diane,

John Koskinen himself recently made this comment to an overseas group of listeners:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000n8Y

[added bold emphasis mine]

We are running events in the United States focusing on small businesses, trying to provide them technical information, trying to encourage them to take action in the face of what we find increasingly is a position where many of them are saying they're simply going to wait, see what breaks, and then they will fix it once it's broken. We are trying to tell them that that's a very high risk roll of the dice, because when they go to get the fix, whether it's an upgrade in their software or a replacement for the software or the hardware, it will be obvious what the fix is, everyone will know how to do it, but the risk is, they will be at the end of a very long line of other people who waited to see what broke and then decided to fix it. And the fix will work just fine when it arrives, but it may not arrive until March, April or May of the year 2000, and these companies and governments and those who decided to wait and see may find that they're going to be severely challenged in continuing their operations while they're waiting for that fix to arrive.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), May 19, 1999.