Calling all ex-DGI that are now GI

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Ok all ex-DGI. Tell me now that you are a GI, what turned you around to become a GI. Thanks for your honesty ahead of time.

-- Missy2k (timeisup@Webtv.net), July 05, 1999

Answers

common sense

-- Daryll (twinck@wfeca.net), July 05, 1999.

yourdon's factoids about software schedules

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 05, 1999.

Research, research and more research.

-- Jill (jdance@mindspring.com), July 05, 1999.

Couldn't afford not to be, the stakes were too high.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), July 05, 1999.

I ran across some information during a surf session on the net, I then looked a little closer, then mentally went 'ape' because it all made so much sense when put together with snippits I read in the paper & magazines, THE BIG PICTURE emerged - The next coherent thought was, my family. Took about a month to mentally gear up & quit being so scared and DO SOMETHING. Prepare, warn, enlighten, educate and learn more, check sources - hang on tight, we're going for a ride.

-- Sammie Davis (sammie0@hotmail.com), July 05, 1999.


Daryll-

Seems that should read Uncommon sense

-- Michael (mikeymac@uswest.net), July 05, 1999.


A co-worker asked me to check out Gary North's site. I 'got it' instantly. I did more research and haven't stopped since.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), July 05, 1999.

Since I'm not very bright, jump to conclusions, listen to Art Bell, hate the guv'ment and am easily led, I "Got It" right away!

-- Doofus (low@IQDoomer.s), July 05, 1999.

If I could have "gotten it" when I first saw a Y2K test fail, I would be prepared for a FIFTY on csy2k's scale of one to ten. Instead it took me from 1987 to 1997 to connect the failure of a stand-alone computer system to one involving computers running the world.

HUGE SIGH.....

But at least I got it before it's too late. Then again there are people who worked with me then, saw the same test and how it failed, yet they cannot now grasp what Y2K means.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 05, 1999.


Sic 'em Sammie. Hope you'll get better results than I have so far.

Still trying in the SoCal wasteland.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 05, 1999.



i have one little precious wish. and that is that some of the gi's on this forum could magically revert to dgi's. it would be the perfect solution for culling the pyscopathic soreheads from the herd.

just kidding (honsest) kisses.

.

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), July 05, 1999.


Careen, Your wish has been granted! I was a GI. Now I see your wisdom and have decided to be a DGI. What to do with all this cash?

Hugs and kisses, snuggle buggle...

br14

-- br14 (br14@bout.done), July 05, 1999.


I became a GI when I talked about our network and customers' networks with my boss, and he told me that he thought it was a bunch of bull made up so companies like ours could make a few bucks. Then, we started seeing machines that didn't pass, and apps that didn't recognize the leap year...he got a little white in the face!

(long-time lurker, first-time poster) Mort

-- Mort (elmortis@yahoo.com), July 05, 1999.


a lazy friend suggested checking out websites (so he wouldn t have to put in any research time his lazy ass self) for info, and i looked at gary north s website...that cinched it for me

-- mrs. zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 05, 1999.

I was at work taking a break. I walked out to one of the small balconies overlooking a parking lot. It was my birthday.

There was a guy out there who I had seen before but he was a new employee. I looked at his badge and it indicated that he was one of our vendors. We began talking and I asked him what project he was working on. He explained how he was working on the computer systems and that he had been in the programming business for the past fifteen years. We spoke about various programs and I think that it was he that brought up Y2k. He seemed to be extremely serious. I asked him where he would be at the end of December. He got very, very quiet. He then answered quietly "I've got some land with a trailer on it. I'm taking my wife and my kids up to the land. We have provisions for a year." I looked at him with astonishment! This guy really WAS serious! I looked at him and said "Wait a minute! Where are you getting your information?" He said "Do me a favor. Look up Gary North's website and judge for yourself.

This discussion happened back in June. It may turn out to be the best birthday gift of my life.

Carolyn

-- Carolyn Grace (grace17@pacbell.net), July 06, 1999.



Several years ago, my husband started forwarding me emails he had received from his IT industry friends on Y2k. We would discuss them casually and not-so-casually. We had very 'neutral' talks -- neither GI nor DGI -- just going over the information we had, putting it together with what we both knew (both about computers AND human nature), but as a couple, didn't come to a clear position. From time to time, we'd discuss it, acknowledge that it "might" be a good idea to take prep measures, etc., but no real action was taken until about a year and a half ago.

Mind you, my husband and I are by nature, as self sufficient as we can be -- it's just how we like to live. We've always had a huge pantry (at least 3 - 4 months provisions), always had 3 or 4 of the big 24 roll packs of TP on hand, have had a wood burning stove heating our home for 6 years, garden, work on our own machinery, I sew/tailor/can/freeze/dehydrate food, etc. I guess you could say we stuck out like a sore thumb amongst our circle of business associates. I have over 20 years experience in corporate marketing, and hubby's been doing the telecom/IT/engineering thing for at least that long. Neither one of us 'fit the mold', so to speak; we've always driven older, paid for cars, live in a modest home, had 'toys' only when we could afford to pay cash, etc. We are/were atypical of the 'corporate' workforce.

What kept nagging at us (me, more so than hubby, as I think he 'got it' to a deeper degree than I did earlier on), was the HUMAN NATURE factor. During the latter half of 1997, information regarding a series of incidents (some dating back several years) involving the company I worked for became available to me and several other 'insiders' -- information about things that had happened, why they had happened, at whose behest they had happened, and what the planned strategy for 'damage control' was. It was bad; questionably illegal, most certainly morally dubious. The efforts that went into 'covering butts' was far more time consuming and expensive than if they had originally done the right thing. It was FAR MORE beneficial for them to 'fix it' than to ignore it. It would have been obvious to anyone that without change, this company would be history in short order. There was a real impetus to change things. (Sound familiar?) Disinformation from corporate came forth regularly to the public and employees alike, yet the ruse continued. One by one, high ranking veteran employees left out of disgust (and probably fear - for their career reputation and from criminal prosecution). The CEO continued his very charismatic approach to keep up the disinformation/charade, and up until the end, it worked. (One of his tactics: Keep telling people you *see* them as "family", and have their best interests at heart. Keep the "Big Brain" argument -- "I can see, how with your limited knowledge and understanding, it might seem this way, but trust me, I'm an expert.") Eventually, though, he began to founder when the tide of evidence contrary to what he had espoused began rolling in, and the decline of this company was swift. That's when the finger pointing, blame laying, hind quarter covering started in earnest. Those of us who left, after seeing what was *real* as opposed to what was told to them, have careers. The others who 'went down with the ship' despite growing, clear evidence to the contrary, were not as lucky.

One thing I learned from my last corporate experience was to TRUST MY GUT INSTINCTS after researching and getting as much substantiated information as possible. People 'knew' things were not right; felt they were being lied to, yet the "Trust me, I wouldn't let anything bad happen" crap continued, almost to the very end. The disinformation campaigns try very hard to discount any conclusions one might have after doing simple math: 2=2=4.

It was a dope slap of sorts when I realized that of course, this very same scenario could be played out regarding Y2k. THAT'S when I 'got it."

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), July 06, 1999.


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