The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, editorial, June 3, 1999.

Let's keep this in perspective

In a set of Sunday feature stories, The Herald-Sun examined the preparations that government and businesses are making to cope with and avoid the Y2K problem. [Explanation of problem, how it started, etc.].

. . . Y2K still strikes terror in the minds of some. Michael Hyatt, author of "The Millennium Bug," told Herald-Sun reporter Lisa Smith that food and water shortages and a worldwide recession are possible, and he's preparing his family accordingly. He also counsels consumers to decide on their tolerance of risk and make preparations as they see fit.

Luckily, the survivalist view concerning Y2K is not in the mainstream. Many of the Triangle's larger businesses are spending big dollars to forestall problems, as are governments worldwide. That effort is already producing the desired results.

Albert Segars, an associate professor at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, says that industries with heavy governmental regulation--banking, securities, utilities and telecommunications---are ahead of the game in preparation. He, like other colleagues who are familiar with this problem, predicts some minor annoyanes, bnt no cataclysm. Smaller businesses and those that started too late on Y2K preparations will likely have more trouble, experts say.

One cause for optimisim: Peter de Jager, who is credited with first bringing public attention to the problem in a 1993 article for a computer magazine, now believes that the worst problems have been averted.

Yet no one really knows what will happen, because no one has yet had to cope with a potential problem quite like this, one brought on by our age's technological ingenuity. Perhaps the best advice is to get informed, but keep Y2K in pespective.

We have lived through world wars, and a few years ago we survived a hit from a hurricane. Humans have continued to prevail throughout, and we can certainly survive the Y2K computer glitch. Besides, as a wise old cynic said not long ago, if the traffic lights work on Jan. 1, we'll be all right,.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), June 02, 1999

Answers

The fact that the human race will survive is not all that encouraging. Personally, I'd prefer to be one of the survivers...in the company of my extended family and friends.

At least the article mentioned that people should look into the problem and prepare as they see fit.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 02, 1999.

> He also counsels consumers to decide on their tolerance of risk and make preparations as they see fit.

Seems like I've heard that said around here a few times.

-Greybear

-- Get Ready

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 02, 1999.

are ahead of the game

I quit thinking of this as a game quite awhile ago.

-- Doug (douglasjohnson@prodigy.net), June 02, 1999.

Old Git,

Good story. Remember how last year the focus was on the survivalists and hoarding and running for the hills? This piece is looking at the situation from a much more serious perspective. It's good that the paper is opening up this matter from a "business" standpoint which is a worry to so many of us. Every little bit helps. Awareness is going to come in small doses for most people, just like in this article.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), June 02, 1999.

I'd sure like to see some investigative stories--in every local journal and on the local companies--explaining just what area businesses ARE doing for their contingency plans.

Might wake a few people up.

In Silicon Valley... Intel is being watched... big time.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), June 02, 1999.