Thx!!!

Owl

-- owl (b@a.com), October 01, 1999

Answers

NO PROBLEMO:

Russia (China, Great Britan, France, North Korea, Pakistan, Israel, South Africa, India, US -- please complete the list at your leisure) really DO launch nuclear missiles (then of course the MAD response kicks in) because Y2k computer glitches cause them to think that they are under attack.

My guess is Y2k would be over in two days tops.

-- Dr. Roger Altman (rogaltman@aol.com), October 01, 1999.

Geesh, you guys are really behind on current events.

The Galactic Fleet, based on the planet Celeron, will home in on Diane's Northern Crystals and pick up the Chosen in Redmond on Jan. 2! Where have you guys been? heading for the hills or something??

storing up my Gold Eagles to bribe my way into safe passage,

('cause it's all really about money anyway, now ain't it),

-- Chicken little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 01, 1999.

Hello,

Easy. Same way computer crashes are short term now. People fix the problem, and bring the system back up. Life continues. If the problem IS so severe that it puts one company out of business, another company picks up the business. Any fallout or "backing up" of work gets taken care of or caught up once the computer system gets fixed. And the people I've worked with in the computer industry DO manage to keep life as we know it going along fine, thank you very much!

Spare me a repeat of "yeah but...what if"..."and if"..."and if" "and if"....ad nauseum. I just don't think "if" is going to happen come Y2K IMO. Simple as that. And I AM entitled to my informed opinion, even if some doomers (or moderators) here would prefer otherwise. How nice! What a GREAT country! I LOVE AMERICA!!!

I'm quite aware and knowlegeable on these issues. I'm also aware of the instances that could be cited about a "key" supplier being unable to deliver. Thing is, this kind of stuff has been going on for as long as we've had a division of labor economy and society. Somehow, someway, life, society and commerce DOES continue. People DO find a way! I expect society will "survive" Y2K, and continue on too. And I don't expect anyone to be "working" in any NWO martial law camp!

That said, I also expect some disruptions. I expect some companies to go out of business. Maybe some shortages of some items for a while. What I keep remembering is that there is not much most people just HAVE to have right now. Substitutes DO work. And supplies ARE replenished. For instance, lets say Domino's pizza went belly up. Besides other pizza choices, there are other FOOD choices. In fact, TOO MANY food choices for most of our waist lines!

I think of the recent natural disasters. Floods and earthquakes. Yes, there have been lots of death and distruction. What I find so remarkable, is how low the casualties are in relation to the population of the affected areas. Also, with "total collapse" of the "social fabric" and a taste of TEOTWAWKI in these localized areas, at least for a short while, people actually work at putting things back together and getting on with their lives. Exceptions to this, yes..but they are in the minority. I'll bet even any doomers with a stash of "preps" in the flooded areas are getting on with their lives, instead of just clinging to their underwater preps and drowning.

My point is, us humans are pretty resiliant. We do bounce back, adjust course based on what comes our way, and keep on keeping on, basically. This is my bet for Y2K here in the states. Overseas? I don't know. Probably like the weather -- it will vary a lot globaly! Anythink that will kill me? Nope. Don't think so.

Basically, not many folks insist on KNOWING, 100% FOR SURE that ALL the traffic lights will be on green before heading out the driveway! They come across an obstacle, they find a way around, over or thru, but generally continue towards their destination...not get out and run a hose from the exhaust pipe into the window, 'cause it's TEOTWAWKI! Good thing most didn't "prep" by putting a hose in the trunk..."just in case". Preping isn't wrong, IMO, do whatever you want. Just allow others the same freedom of choice, and don't worry, I won't come knocking on your door...wouldn't anyway, but won't need to, either! Don't think the company of delusional doomer dummies who want TEOTWAWKI would be very good company to keep! Might end up in their stew pot! No thanks! Or be murdered for having a politically uncorrect point of view on something. No thanks!

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!

FWIW, these are my thoughts as a mainframe programmer analyst who has worked in several industries and had "production responsibilities" on many systems, and who has fixed whatever glitches I've encountered wherever I've been, and the systems just keep on running! Thinking back, I can't think of anywhere I've worked that hasn't had tested out contingency plans, work arounds and the like for their mission critical systems. One thing I've NEVER seen at ANY of the companies I've worked at as a programmer/analyst is a defeatist attitude or just seeing things in black and white. NO "the computer's down...time to find another job and go out of business" or "one computer glitch...so I guess it's ALL in the crapper". No, just the opposite. "the computer's down...let's fix it ASAP" (and we always have) and "one computer glitch...lets get this one thing fixed" (and everything else continues normally...or some work around/alternative is implemented).

This is how things work in the "real world" of REALLY mission critical systems, with REAL professional people at the helm. Not a bunch of idiots running screaming into the streat because some computer hickups. No, that's what the doomer crowd would do. BWAAAHAHAHAHA!!

-- Genius (codeslinger@work.now), October 01, 1999.

(1) The problem will be if the number of faults exceed our societal fault tolerance level...

(2) It has been my experience (as a former EDP Auditor and computer security consultant) that most contingency plans are not tested. Those organizations that test their plans almost invariably have found serious defects...that they remedy in the next version.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 01, 1999.

Genius:

Will problems brought about by Y2k be different in any way from the type or quantity of problems society faces right now?

If you think problems brought about by Y2k will be different in some way, please explain the difference.

If you think not, please explain your reasoning WHY there will be no difference.

-- Dr. Roger Altman (rogaltman@aol.com), October 02, 1999.