Now it back to the panic not the bug causing all these problems. Now I get it(GI).

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The biggest Y2K problem facing nations is not fixing computer bugs but preparing populations for possible disruptions without causing panic, a global Y2K summit said Monday.

Less developed countries, with fewer computer systems, are likely to have fewer ``millenium bug'' computer glitches than developed nations, policy makers from Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas told the summit meeting, co-sponsored by the United Nations and held in New York City.

But speakers feared public panic if they said too much about the little-understood ``Y2K'' (Year 2000) bug or suggested Year 2000 contingency planning. And they said they had to explain the problem before expected Y2K apocalypse movies and media reports defined the issue and ``bugged out'' their populations.

``The perception of the problem is as important as the solution itself,'' Susan Page, who manages the Australian government's Year 2000 effort, said at the summit, which was also sponsored by the Freedom Forum, a U.S. media think tank.

The Y2K millenium bug is a hazard for many older computer systems that record dates using only the last two digits of the year. If left uncorrected, systems may mistake the year 2000 as 1900, causing systems to spew out bad data or crash.

There is still no hard evidence the rollover to Year 2000 dates could trigger the power outages, food shortages and urban warfare some have predicted. Policy makers and the public often find themselves in a ``Y2K hall of mirrors'' where the bug can look either like a catastrophe or just a case of pre-millennial angst, speakers said. To get a clearer picture, nations and regions need to make public more Y2K information, White House Y2K czar John Koskinen told reporters at the conclusion of the first meeting of the two-day International Y2K Cooperation Center summit.

``International information is the most difficult thing to come by,'' Koskinen said. ``If there's an absence of information, people assume the worst.''

Speakers said they did not know what to tell people who have no phone, let alone a personal computer, about a technological glitch that might seriously affect them or not touch them at all.

``What should citizens know?'' asked Mexican Y2K chief Carlos Jarque. ``If you overdo it then you create anxiety.''

Jarque, a Mexican cabinet minister, said while his nation of 100 million had the problem well under control, less than five percent of Mexicans could identify what the Y2K problem was.

The general manager of Venezuela's government information network, Hugo Castellanos, said his country has employed psychologists and psychiatrists to help the oil-dependent Latin-American state explain the glitch to citizens caught in recession.

He said government suggestions, like those made in the United States, that people perhaps have a few days food and cash at home in case of possible Y2K-related shortages, would lead to bank runs and food shortages in Venezuela.

Responding to questions on whether the real Y2K problem was now outside the United States, Koskinen said, ``It wouldn't surprise us to see more problems in developed countries because we have more systems'' to fix.''

Koskinen identified developing countries caught in economic turmoil as those most susceptible to Y2K problems, having been distracted from Y2K remediation projects.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), June 21, 1999

Answers

Wow, what a bunch of flip-flopping waffle blather manipu-double-speak!
How about JUST TELLING THE TRUTH ? !!!!

There's enough sentences in there to fuel a REVOLUTION, folks!

"Let them eat happy faces"

xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), June 21, 1999.

How about this one by John Ko-skin-em:

"To get a clearer picture, nations and regions need to make public more Y2K information, White House Y2K czar John Koskinen told reporters at the conclusion of the first meeting of the two-day International Y2K Cooperation Center summit. "

Wish he would have qualified it with TRUTHFUL and ACCURATE. Not possible I'm afraid.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), June 21, 1999.

And the remark about Venezuela's Government.

The general manager of Venezuela's government information network, Hugo Castellanos, said his country has employed psychologists and psychiatrists to help the oil-dependent Latin-American state explain the glitch to citizens caught in recession.

They are very serious about their spin.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), June 21, 1999.

Here's a crafted piece of shrewdly chosen words. The link for it is...

http://www.y2k.gov/community/faq.html

I went to the Community Conversation in Frankfort, Kentucky a few days ago and while there picked up a handout. You can read the whole FAQ handout at the link above. Here's the part from it on personal preparation:

[added bold emphasis mine]

[snip]

How should people prepare for the Year 2000 transition?

The President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion is advising people not to disrupt their lives because of the Year 2000 transition. There is no indication that there will be major national disruptions in key infrastructures such as electric power, telecommunications, banking, and transportation. Most local authorities are leading aggressive efforts to solve the problem.

However, the President's Council is telling people that it is always smart to be prepared for the possibility that anything-from storms to Y2K-related failures-could temporarily disrupt services at any time. As always, people should have batteries for flashlights and radios, have a three-day supply of water and non-perishable goods, and make sure that the gas tanks in their cars are never less than half full. The Y2K problem is also a reminder to people to take care of their billing, bank, and tax records. Having recent copies of records and statements on file at home makes good sense at any time.

The President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion is monitoring the situation, and will provide updated guidance to the public in the months ahead through its web page (www.y2k.gov) and free information line (1-888-USA-4-Y2K). In particular, if there is a need for specific, additional precautions, the President's Council will make sure this information is available promptly to the public.

It is also a good idea to ask your local government, your bank, your utility company, and the other organizations you rely upon what they are doing to be ready for the Year 2000. Additional precautions may be appropriate if you are not satisfied with the information you receive directly or through public announcements.

[snip]

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), June 22, 1999.