I'm really impressed! All this time I have really tried to figure just how bad y2k was going to be. Many experts on both sides of the question haven't been able to nail it down. But heck, I've discovered I've been wasting my time. Somehow, some way, very large numbers of people have apparently found a really good formula that is truely precise for predictions. They must be using the same formula because they all come up with the very same answer.. It just makes me feel really dumb that after 2 years of intensive study, I can't figure it out. It seems that governors, mayors, bankers, corporate heads and utilities all have shown insight that puts the rest of us to shame.All across the nation these various persons,after much thought,have reached the same conclusion...The results of y2k will affect the average citizen exactly 3 days! I mean they tell us buy enough food for 3 days.. put aside drinking water for 3 days take only enough money out of the bank to last 3 days. I'm just thankful that there are people who care enough for me and who are so intelligent that they can assure me and my family to prepare for precisely three days! It surely must make you programmers and other IT people feel stupid to let others who aren't even in the IT business discover this before you did. But,WHAT A RELIEF..now I can relax and quit worrying... three days...great!

-- citizen (lost@sea.com), December 04, 1999

Answers

Heh, you don't sound like you're relaxing the citizen. Down to crunch time, huh? I'm sweatin the details abit for sure.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 04, 1999.

Yes isn't it just amazing citizen? Actually they used the same analog algorithm that all of the corporations of the world used to establish that no matter how big the job, or when they started, or how large a staff, or how large a budget they had, they would be 100% compliant (remember that word compliant, you hear it so rarely nowadays!) by 12/31/98 and have a full year for testing. The analog algorithm used is a white six sided cube with 21 black dots on it a various locations.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), December 04, 1999.

If we only need three days of preps,how come the Gov is going to start staffing there $50 mil.bunker (high tech)on the 15th of Dec. and will be hunkered down for 90 days?

-- don (Watching An waiting@my tax money.com), December 04, 1999.

Ken, you're absolutely right! The same logical, keen minds that all agree on three days also agreed to be done and ready for testing at exactly the same date. Government, corporations, bankers....Hmmmmm, WOW! what a coincidence!!!!

-- citizen (lost@sea.com), December 04, 1999.

Actually, it's 4 days.

-- y2krazy (jen@hotmail.com), December 04, 1999.

Ah the "3 days scenario" has become an all-pervasive slogan hasn't it? That's because...IT'S A MEME!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

(Sorry, kinda snapped...)

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), December 04, 1999.

No, it's only always "3" because of rounding. There have been thousands of results in from various government departments and corporations, all indicating that it will last somewhere between 2.5 and 3.49999 days.

If you think about it, that is quite a spread - a whole day - so I wouldn't go accusing them too soon about all being in it together if I were you. Very irresponsible.

Bear in mind also, that preparing yourself for 3 days also prepares you for 2, 1 or zero. So they are actually preparing us for all eventualities.

-- Y2KGardener (govegan@aloha.net), December 04, 1999.

Actually that reminds me of the three Y2K analysts trying to evaluate the proverbial glass of water.

The optomist says the glass is half full.

The pessimist says it the glass is half empty.

The engineer say the glass is twice as big as it has to be.

Three days... yeah right. It will take them three days just to find the light switch.

Keith

-- Keith Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), December 04, 1999.

3 statisticians were duck hunting. A duck flew overhead, and the 1st statistician fired. The shot went behind the duck. The 2nd statistician fired, and the shot went in front of the duck. The 3rd statistician started jumping up and down, saying, "congratulations, guys, you hit it!

-- rob minor (rbminor@hotmail.com), December 04, 1999.