Hi Hokie, I'm a freelancer with a TV channel and I need complete information on this topic for a seralized report that I'm doing. I have information... but I need a lot more. Embedded System as well as the world scenario as regards to each segment in transportation... Steps, Contingency plans etc. Can U help me? Regards, Derek

-- Derek Wheeler (derekjwheeler@yahoo.com), December 04, 1999

Answers

Here's my personal favorite link for Embedded Systems IEE Embedded Systems Casebook

It contains specific examples of y2k problems in embedded systems as well as what would happen if the system was not fixed.

Oil plays a large role in our ability to transport goods. Venezuela Plans Y2K Halt to Oil Loadings

Good luck.

-- John Ainsworth (ainsje00@wfu.edu), December 04, 1999.

Hey Derek - At the bottom of the recent threads are a huge listing of older threads by category - embedded chips with 188 threads is among them. Try browsing there for more information.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 04, 1999.

Derek, Try original source research. (No wonder there is such a problem with the media, mutter.) Nothing personal, Derek. It's not your fault that they assign stories to people who don't have a background in a topic.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 04, 1999.

Hey Derek,

Good luck on your stories! If you can archive the broadcasts on the net, I'd love to see them!!! Heh, I'm sure the panel of pros here would even provide tech feedback:-)

Dr. Paula Gordon had a cute interaction with a French engineer on embeddeds that she said on CSpan. I believe she posted it here somewhere too. She asked him how he explains the problem of embeddeds to laypersons in France. He says that you have this valve that controls how much chemicals are put into water to purify it. If the embedded chip controling the valve malfunctions, then you get either too much or not enough chemicals in your drinking water. Paul responds Oh! That's it? Well that would never work here. We don't use common sense in America.

Now imagine that same valve, with an embedded chip made by a company that went belly-up five years ago, in the natural gas lines in your neighborhood, or the Alaskan oil line...Or in food processing...Imagine all the different chips made by different companies bought at different times and wed into our telecommunications....See what a mess?

Just a little humor to encourage you to realize that the concept of embeddeds really is not difficult to grasp, but the implications are difficult. For instance, the number 1 and 2 oil pipelines in the US are shutting down new years eve. Why? I'm a shrink, not an engineer, but my understanding is that one prob is the embeddeds which detect leaks. These embeddeds have the power to shut down the line. What are the explosive potentials if one third of these chips try to shut down the line, but the remaining 2/3rds keep pumping oil , business as usual? What is the impact to America if our refineries shut down, and we only have a 3 day supply of gasoline till the refineries become operational again? The '70's gas lines were from a 7% decrease in supply. Some sources estimate our supply may drop to 30%, eliminating private consumption indefinitelty. You already have the links to these sources.

Bottom line: Encourage folks to do what is in their means to put aside some food/water like we did before just-in-time delivery. We used to have pantries with a 3 to 12 month supply. We got cocky and spoiled with just-in-time delivery, and may pay a price if we don't prepare. There may be rationing of food and gas, can you believe that?

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

Oh, PS--Persons at the very least should be purchasing extra storables with every grocery store trip. Some "doomers" say there is no time/inadequate supplies. Maybe this will not be a deterent if you are a local broadcaster. There is still time for small scale preps; you'll find estimates that maybe as little as 10% of failures will occur 01/01, maybe even less. Maybe a crescendo as late as June 2000. Some of these delayed effects are theorized to be due to the build-up of corrupt mainframe data.

Just incase you wanna look at the mainframe issue as well, here is a url to Cory Hamasaki's DC Weather Reports: http://www.kiyoinc.com/current.html

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

Sorry, I forgot the most important thing perhaps for your viewers:

The reason Red Cross says have a 3-day supply is because they figure that that is how long it will take them to respond with handouts, NOT cause everything will be fixed by then. After 3 days any persons without food/water will have to depend on charity/local gov responses.

Keep in mind it took 10 days for FEMA to get to FLA after hurricane Andrew(one crisis in one state), and they can only respond to roughly 1 emergency in each state (56 simultaneous responses is there max).

I'm in VA. I watched my neighbors in Portsmouth stand in line for HOURS waiting for an overdue water shipment after Floyd downed their water plant. This was one city. Y2K has the potential of taking down so many plants/services at once; there is only so much gov/charity can do; it's our responsibility to prepare as much as we are able so we don't drain gov/charity resources that may be needed more urgently elsewhere.

Okay, my 2 cents, I'm done.

-- Hokie (nn@va.not), December 04, 1999.