Does anybody have the full text of the memo (or preferably a webpage URL) which was allegedly issued to IBM employees (in September, I believe) regarding the need for their employees to begin making Y2K preparations? From what I understand, the memo was not a guide to upgrading PCs, but was more along the lines of food/water storage, heating, etc.

It would seem to me that quite a number of posters here work for companies that are Y2K-asleep. A simple letter to your company president (in the ubiquitous "suggestion box"), with the IBM memo attached, may be the quickest way for you to get some sort of "official" endorsement of preparedness urgency. That is, you do still care about the people you work with, don't you?

Many companies have a policy of posting anonymous letters on a bulletin board. Consider sending such a letter anonymously. This way, the company president may decide to post it (as "an employee's opinion") without feeling the need to run it by the lawyers for approval.

If you have the text, please post it here. But, hopefully it is available on an IBM webpage somewhere for the skeptical to verify.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), October 30, 1999

Answers

I wouldn't wait for anyone just buy a good shotgun, brand new garbage cans to store water plenty of kerosene and gas containers stored in a shed no electricity please and plenty of rice,beans,canned food etc.

Ron

-- Ron (rrest@hotmail.com), October 30, 1999.

The old link (http://www.nationalpost.com/financialpost.asp?s2=investing&s3=persona lfinance) has apparently been archived. You'll need to search their archives for the entire article. I did copy excerpts to my local forum. Ellipses (...) indicate that I did some editing for copyright purposes.

IBM, Red Cross suggest safeguards for New Year's

A recent internal publication issued by International Business Machines Corp. focused on the Y2K problem, advises employees around the world to make personal contingency plans and be prepared on personal finances, including putting aside some extra cash.

The special 1999 issue of IBM's Think magazine, headlined simply "Understanding Y2K," also advises workers to be flexible about vacation plans and to be prepared for unusually heavy workloads in the fourth quarter of 1999 and first quarter of 2000.

"In planning for the transition to 2000, nothing is being taken for granted, and few scenarios are too far-fetched," it warns.

For personal living preparations, it largely relies on the recommendations of the American Red Cross, available on the Internet at www.redcross.org/disaster/ safety/y2k.html...

While personal preparation suggestions are often cited by Y2K skeptics as coming from the lunatic fringe, it's quite another thing coming from IBM or the Red Cross.

But IBM acknowledges it has been essentially near "ground zero" in the whole Y2K phenomenon...

What's remarkable about the IBM publication is its repeated reminders that "all markets, all businesses, all governments and all communities are interconnected."

In fact, IBM's graphic descriptions of Y2K interconnectedness and interdependencies aren't radically different from the dire falling-domino theories of such Y2K doomsayers as Dr. Gary North and Joe Boivin.

"It's not enough to convert your own business, because you're not ready until your entire supply chain is," IBM says.

"It's not enough to live in a Y2K-ready neighborhood unless all its interwoven threads -- businesses, schools, neighbourhood associations, police and fire departments -- are ready. Y2K will throw these interconnections into sharp relief."...

Coming from prominent Y2K gloom-and-doomers, such survival contingency plans might appear ludicrous. But when they come from IBM and the Red Cross, maybe -- just maybe --there may be cause to take at least the teensiest bit of personal preparations...

As of tomorrow, there are just 100 days until the turn of the century.

-- Steve (hartsman@ticon.net), October 31, 1999.

The last sentence dates the article. As of tomorrow, there are precisely 2 calendar months to the big day.

-- Steve (hartsman@ticon.net), October 31, 1999.

Here's the first trace of it on this forum (I believe):

IBM, Red Cross suggest safeguards for New Year's

But, I really liked this part, and have used it a bunch of times here:

"In fact, IBM's graphic descriptions of Y2K interconnectedness and interdependencies aren't radically different from the dire alling-domino theories of such Y2K doomsayers as Dr. Gary North and Joe Boivin."

Yup, good old IBM...

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 31, 1999.

Hummm, where did my f go? That should be:

"falling-domino"

Yea, and I really liked this part too:

"Coming from prominent Y2K gloom-and-doomers, such survival contingency plans might appear ludicrous. But when they come from IBM and the Red Cross, maybe -- just maybe --there may be cause to take at least the teensiest bit of personal preparations."

Yea, that's the ticket! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 31, 1999.

Try the link again.

"Maybe. Just maybe". Nah.

-- Steve (hartsman@ticon.net), October 31, 1999.

Thanks, gang. I just emailed the author of the article. Check back here later, and with any luck, I'll have IBM's memo posed.

Anybody from IBM want to speak "off the record"? Use my Anonymous Sender to contact me. PGP Key(s) there as well.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), October 31, 1999.

IBM is aware of a scientific report presented to the Royal Society in England on Oct. 5, 1999. This report suggests that PC operating systems will slow down and cease to function after the rollover. A "rollover" test with confirming report being conducted in Rotterdam will be released shortly which will confirm or deny this hypothesis.

-- Brian Bretzke (bretzke@tir.com), November 01, 1999.

The author of the National Post article informs me he got his hard copy of the IBM memo from IBM Canada. He has no electronic version.

I'll see if I can get him to fax a copy to me. If successful, I'll duefully and diligently retype the memo and post it here. (Or, some kind soul from IBM may want to save my fingers by emailinf it to me.)

Could be a couple of days, so if interested, you may want to bookmark this page.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), November 01, 1999.