Cheryl,the discussion that you and Christine are having about Microsoft and its lack of honesty,made me think about this post by Steve Dover.His concern is about the grid and "testing for success".My interpretation of testing for success is that you structure the test to give the results you want.Does anyone have comments or knowledge of testing for success in other industries?
There are 23 nuclear power generation facilities in
North America
> which account for the production of 60% of the North
American Power Grid. NONE
> of them will be compliant in time for the Y2K rollover and
therefore MUST SHUT
> DOWN COMPLETELY. I'd say that means that 60% of the
North American Power Grid
> will become inoperable on or before January 01, 2000.
>
> Think about that for a moment! We'll be depending
upon the remaining
> 40% of the North American Power Grid for ALL electrical
power . . . . . IF
> . . . . the remaining analog generation facilities are 100%
Y2K compliant. Who
> wants to bet that they are?? Not me. I do a lot of Y2K Due
Diligence
> Investigations and I can tell you that the software testing
methodology in this
> country is a completely "test for success," (meaning conduct
a test in order
> that the test shows a desirable result ONLY), mentality.
Configuration
> Management Technique is something that most Information
Services organizations
> have lost sight of, (or we never would have dealt with Y2K in
the '90s -- it
> would have been solved back in the '80s). Plugging a
computer, whether a PC or
> a mainframe, into an outlet without alternating electrons, will
result in an
> inoperable computer, no matter what else you do to the
software. Your first
> hint will be throwing the light switch in the room where the
computer resides.
>
> Recently there was a power grid test conducted,
supposedly on a
> nationwide basis. I watched that test with great interest and
know a number of
> people involved. It was shortcutted dozens of times over, in
order to portray
> an aire of confidence for the general public's perception of the
effects of Y2K
> on the country's power infrastructure. Asking for the test
specifications
> will get you nowhere, and when technical questions are
asked, they are ignored.
> Call your local power company and ask about getting a
written guarentee on
> Y2K. Hold the phone away from your ear for the response,
which is likely to be
> loud laughter. Buy a good generator this week. Then, shop
around for a large
> fuel tank. Prepare to guard it against an insurgence which
will likely require
> marshall law.
<snip>
Steve Dover on csy2k |
