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Technology Stocks : Discuss Year 2000 Issues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Mansfield who wrote (2306)	7/28/1998 4:45:00 PM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

Some ideas from Cory Hamasaki (c.s.y2k) 'At this point, it might not matter too much one way or another. I've heard that at least one very large computer services vendor has figured out that remediation is a chump's game. Here's the game, you go in now, the client tries to cheap you out... they think they can bargain because... well, that's the way they did business last year. You do your best, it's hopeless, you knock yourself out, for what, a hundred bucks an hour? You can make half that fixing lawnmowers and almost that much running a leaf vacuum. You go in now and fail and SURPRISE! In 522 days, your client is sueing you for damages. So instead of Y2K'ing, this very large computer services vendor is kicking back, sure, they'll do some work for a select group of loyal old clients but new clients? Nah, they're.... as they say, fully engaged. Then in 522 days when the failures occur and the clients start screaming "We're doomed! We're doomed!" This very large computer services vendor will stroll in and help out... but not for $100/hour... not for $200/hour, for significantly more. They'll be calm, professional, and will have "take it or leave it" contracts, contracts with large boxes for the amounts. This strategy gets rid of the legal liability issues because ... the systems will already be broken. ...this is a strong reason that the work is not being done now... why fix code for $100/hour when you can wait a few months and do the same work for much, much more. Wait a few months and not have any liability. So the smart players are sitting this game out, liability, low rates, sit this game out and let the lightweights debate the morality of scaremongering... Let the nubies, who don't even know what the game is, have their day, and in 522 days, they'll bring in the big-guns. In 522 days, they'll say, you're mine, punk. cory hamasaki 522 days.... sign over the firm.

To: John Mansfield who wrote (2306)	7/29/1998 3:39:00 AM
From: John Mansfield	Respond to of 9818

'Western experts say computer failures could prompt Russia's nuclear power stations to shut down as safety mechanisms were tripped, but believe a Chernobyl-style disaster is unlikely. However, nobody knows how embedded chips in pipeline valves, road traffic light and air traffic control systems will react, they said, leaving open a massive potential for disasters. ... www2.nando.net

To: John Mansfield who wrote (2306)	7/29/1998 3:56:00 AM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

'Furthermore, many analysts suspect that a publicly traded company could try to hide problems to avoid a slide in its stock even if protected from lawsuits. "That [market motive] may be another impediment to keep a publicly traded company from fully disclosing their readiness," said Don Gilbert, senior vice president for information technology at the National Retail Federation in Washington. SEC officials are finalizing a plan to increase disclosures about the material impact of year 2000, which follows SEC Commissioner Laura Unger's congressional testimony in June that the reports don't provide investors the information they needed. That report is due early next month but already may be too late to make much of a difference, said U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.). Analysts are eager to see what the SEC requires companies to disclose and what the penalty will be if they don't. ... computerworld.com