Funny, coming back to this site for the first time since 30th Jan, 99.Funnier still, looking thro the old threads. Andy, Andy Andyyyyy, where are you now, with your gold under the bed, bought at bargain basement prices ($296 average, wasn't it Andy?).

And what happened to Mad Milne? Still in the bunker, gun at the ready no doubt.

Well guess what. Y2K was a hoax, to lull us all to sleep. The BIG events, the really castostrophic events, don't happen when everyone expects them. But it's happening now. Those waves are building up momentum in the darkness, unseen by most. Economic waves as the markets build for the biggest crash in history. War waves as the the Middle East gets set to explode, with all that that will bring (petrol at $100 a litre? If you can get it?)

The the huge irony is that 99.9% of the former avid readers of this NG are no longer prepared. The stores have gone. And the petrol. Just when they will be really needed. Who said God doesn't have a sense of humour?

And I'm talking to myself. But it's fun. Sort of.

-- Asking (igw@one.net.au), October 10, 2000

Answers

Asking, There was no hoax. The end-of-the-world
scenario was only espoused by a few. That
01-01-2000 was a key date was misinformation.
That the impact of the Y2K problem never hit,
is a view that only those with the most narrow
focus could believe. The impact was significant
but not the chaos the many expected.

I doubt that 99.9% are not still prepared. I
have read where many have decided to make it
part of their lifestyle. I have always suggested
that one should always be prepared for any
possible catastrophy.

And God? Well she's always been a prepper :-'

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 14, 2000.

Hi Spider,

I'd be interested to know just where the Y2K impact was -certainly not chaos, but what? ( apart from a a lot of companies being better prepared for an emergency. ).

I don't know too many 'preppers', but judging by the lack of actvity on this NG, the crisis is over, everyone's gone back to their business. "No worries" as they say in my part of the world...

-- Asking (igw@one.net.au), October 15, 2000.

The investigation into the impact of the
Y2K problem can be broken into 3 catagories.

1. Software upgrades to circumvent non-
compliant systems that failed to work.

2. Systems that were not upgraded and failed.

Chaos? How about England and Europe in
response to the fuel price increases.

3. Possible Y2K problems that are not being
reported as such.

The third is by far the largest category and
easily refuted because of lack of hard evidence.

The first two catagories have thousands of
reports that can be gleaned from GICC and TB
2000 archives.

Billing errors, inventory shortages, payment
delays, school test score glitches, corrupted
data bases, computer system crashes and 911
emegency telephone system problems have had a
worldwide scope.

Worldwide rolling black-outs this year have been
unprecidented. A look at nuclear plant scrams
and energy plant outages show that there was
a major increase late last year and especially
at the roll-over.

Worldwide fuel shortages were concurrent to record
refinery fires, force majeures and outages that
peaked in January. This caused a decrease in
refinery capacity and crude reserves. You're
paying for the result of this at the pump right
now.

Record bankruptcies in Japan in the US.

TOKYO (AP) - The liabilities left behind
by corporate bankruptcies in Japan climbed
48 percent to a postwar high of 10.9 trillion
yen ($100.9 billion) in the first half of
this fiscal year, a research agency said
Monday.

. . .

Bankruptcies in the first half of fiscal
2000, which began April 1, rose 19.6 percent
over the same period last year to 9,473 cases,
the seventh-highest figure since World War
II, the private Teikoku Databank said.

Yes, it would be easy to refute the Y2K connection
to many of these things, but the cicumstancial
evidence is enough to convict in a civil court.

When they updated the Scottish Exam software late
last year to make it compliant, it resulted in
thousands of incorrect scores. This resulted in
a 10% enrollment shortfall in Scotland.

When the updated the New Zealand loan program
software to make it compliant, thousands were
left without funds to enter the universities.
This cascaded to dropped classes, laid off
teachers and unpaid housing bills.

There are areas in the US were the police cannot
arrest you because their database records cannot
be trusted. The lawsuits for false arrests became
too large. These systems were upgraded late last
year to forstall Y2K chaos.

To those have have suffered from the ravages of
the Y2K bug, it would be of little solace to know
it was Y2K that put their life in ruins.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 16, 2000.

Thanks for your considered reply, Spider. As you said though, in most of the examples you gave, the link to Y2K is tenuous indeed. Computer glitches have always occurred, always will. Maybe some can be directly traced to Y2K, but nothing so dramatic that impinges on the consciousness of the majority. (the rise in oil prices is more political manipulation than computer related, me thinks..)

My partner is in a senior position with a global IT company that undertakes IT work for major world-wide organisations. She's in touch daily with the USA head office and many other countries, so is fairly close to the coal face, and would be aware of important happenings. Apart from the usual stuff that goes on all the time, no major problems that are specifically Y2K related that she can ascertain.

Whilst Y2K wasn't a hoax, and may have a greater impact than is generally realised, I feel that the imminent problems we face will be the result of an unrelated economic collapse. But the results will be similar to those widely anticipated prior to 1/1/2000. i.e. shortages, hardship & panic. The soft, spoilt western world will not take kindly to a serious, full on depression. I can't see the masses forming an orderly queue for their bowl of soup, a la 1929. Can you? That's why those preps may still be life savers.

If you say many have changed their thinking, that's good. I just don't see much evidence of it in my part of the world.

Anyway, I guess it's all academic right now, until & unless tshtf.

By the way Spider, are you aware of any NG's on the net discussing this stuff? I've done a couple of searches but not come up with anything. Cheers.....

-- Asking (igw@one.net.au), October 16, 2000.

Not all the problems reported on this site
are Y2K related. They must be gleaned from
the reports.

GICC

This is Downstreamers forum. They talk
mostly oil but have a few good Y2K
discussions occassionally.

Petroleum Markets

Check out this article on GICC that show that
a major Y2K glitch can be covered-up for 10
months and still not be reported as a Y2K glitch.

Michigan Cops confounded by computer glitches

Here is a link to a graph that I made concerning
nuclear scrams and another authors graphs on
refining capacity.

Y2K graphs

And here is a link to the TB 2000 archives.

TB 2000

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 17, 2000.

I found this though a deja NG search:
comp.software.year-2000

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), October 17, 2000.

Thanks for those links, Spider - much appreciated. Maybe catch you on another forum.

-- Asking (igw@one.net.au), October 17, 2000.

Hello Asking, and Spider...

Interesting. Asking you said, "to lull us all to sleep"

I've long held with the thought/theory/feeling that while Y2K, wasn't actually a hoax (in the true sense of the word), I believe it was pushed, and built up (used) for a definite purpose. To "to lull us all to sleep"... when things realy do start going bad, who's going to listen, much less be prepared? The "cry wolf" syndrome. Unfortunately, I think it's going to work. And, the end results will be much worse than it would have been if tshtf last January.

Less people than ever, will be prepared; shock, disbelief, fear, and then panic will take their toll, and this is a perfect scenario for chaos.

In my heart of hearts, I believe that this chaos is the desired goal.

I, and my family prepared, are still prepared, and will remain prepared... not for Y2K, but for whatever it is that I feel is coming our way. And, it is coming. I'm just not sure what form "it" will take.

I've not lived on this earth for 50+ years, to stop trusting my instincts (and my intelligence) now.

Nice to meet you! Scotia

-- Scotia (scotia@ovis.net), October 17, 2000.

Just lurked here and prepared for last years non event. Felt much better about anything that happened at the end of the year and dam glad it turned out ok.

Had a shock when i reloaded an older file and the links from last year were on it, tried this one as a lark and it worked! hehe

The ranch needed the work anyway and you i think i still have top ramen from last year in the cupboard! Always a good idea to prepare for that 2 week snowstorm! hehe, lots easier to laugh this year .

-- baker1 (bakerlol@aol.com), December 16, 2000.

Hi baker1,

Stocking food and water will not help in
preparing for the real impact of Y2K; higher
gas prices and a recession.

Good to hear all is well with you.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 19, 2000.

Test to see if posting is allowed here.

-- Ron Dotson (ron_s_dotson@yahoo.com), April 23, 2001.

Current News Homfront Preparations is here

Old friends are still around.

-- It never (WAS@just.Y2K), September 21, 2001.