LOL!! 'Y2K in Switzerland, follow-up report: On the move
Article:
1 of 2
From:
R. Brunner <nobody@access.ch>
Subject:
Y2K in Switzerland, follow-up report: On the move
Date:
Sat, 09 Jan 1999 16:55:25 +0100
(Note: This is a follow-up to my first Usenet posting about Switzerland and Y2K from July 26, 1998 which is available
through Dejanews as dejanews.com or on my own website as
megos.ch )
In the upper left of the screen there is a digital clock running: It
shows 23:59:45, 1999-12-31: Only a few seconds to go until the new
millennium.
Houston Mission Control talks to the crew of the space shuttle
currently in orbit. The astronauts float in free-fall, wearing
carnival hats and blowing paper pipes, already celebrating New Year.
They look down from space to the North American continent where the
lights of the big cities are clearly visible.
The clock turns 00:00:00, 2000-01-01.
The shuttle crew watches in absolut amazement how in rapid succession
all over the continent the lights go out. A few seconds, and
everything is dark.
"Houston, do you read us? Do you have a problem?" No answer. The
radio link is dead.
Message on the screen: "Call us before it is to late. Swisscom"
The above is a partial description of the TV spot that was shown on Swiss National TV last October, repeatedly on prime
time, for about one month. Swisscom, the Swiss telecommunications giant was advertising its extensive Y2K project.
The company, once a somewhat cumbersome state- owned monopoly, has gained quite some flexibility after
privatization.
If you had asked me which Swiss company is likely to be at the leading edge of Y2K here, I am not sure which name I
would have given, but NOT Swisscom. Pleasant surprise, anyway. If power stays up I expect to have a dial tone here in
Switzerland in January 2000.
Take a look at 2000ok.ch
Quite interesting: Although the TV spot was downright "doomsday" style it did not cause much sensation. I guess the
people just accepted it as a fancy TV spot but not more. Oh well.
The "Rundschau" is a weekly 45-minutes news magazine on Swiss National TV, doing serious and well-respected
reporting about important political and economic developments in Switzerland. Last December 2 there was a 11-minute
report about different aspects of Y2K here.
This was quite an event regarding Y2K, after weeks or even months without coverage of the problem on Swiss TV and
also not much coming in from stations of neighboring countries.
Featured: Mr. 2000, Ulrich Grete (Swiss equivalent of Koskinen), holding together the various news pieces and giving
introductory informations; Y2K tests at SBB (national railways); Rollover test at a selected single power plant in the Alps,
one of the very first such tests (in DECEMBER 1998!), going flawlessly, only printed event logs mixed up with 1900
dates; Y2K problems with flight-tracking radar at the biggest Swiss airport Zurich-Kloten; and ... my own Y2K Diary.
Yes, I had my 3 minutes of fame on Swiss TV. Think of it, they let me go on air with an unmistakable remark that I will
withdraw all my money from bank accounts before the turn of the millennium!
Last September Bundesrat Villiger (our minister of finance) went public with an interesting announcement: The Swiss
government sees a certain danger that in January 2000 the all-important public services power, water, gas and
telecommunication might suffer at least temporary and regional breakdowns.
In order to minimize the possible impact of such breakdowns the governement starts to develop nation-wide contingency
plans, involving organisations like the "Zivilschutz" (civil protection service). Furthermore it will investigating what is the
best way to inform and educate the public about potential infrastructure problems in the wake of Y2K.
As far as I know no results of this initiative surfaced in the meantime.
Like with the Swisscom TV spot it was not only interesting to hear and read the informations themselves, but even more
fascinating to watch how the reaction of the Swiss public was CLOSE TO ZERO. Obviosly plain and simple no cause for
concern whatsoever that the government begins to talk about nationwide contingency plans for a New Year's Eve.
And now surprising news about one of several possible risks to the national power grid, according to the Y2K project
manager of the biggest Swiss power corporation: Assume that power is still up and enough people get scared about
massive problems with power that might damage electrical equipment, blow light bulbs etc. and simultaneously switch off
everything that consumes power just before midnight, 1999-31-12, what would happen?
Well, the sudden drop of consumption would lead to an increase in voltage in some parts of the grid which causes safety
switches in the distribution network to trip in order to prevent further increase and thus damage, which in turn increases
the voltage in other parts of the grid even more, which go offline as well, until the whole grid collapses.
Never thought about THAT particular Y2K problem, right? Take note: Don't dare to switch off the light a few seconds
before midnight, 1999-31-12, you might take down the power grid by doing so!
In summary I must say that there were a number of important developments regarding Y2K in Switzerland in the months
since my last post. As I see it, nowhere near what is REALLY needed, but nevertheless some good starts. In a few days
there will even be a "Y2K day" on Swiss National TV, with FOUR news broadcasts during afternoon and evening focussed
mainly on the problem.
Let us see whether the Swiss again just watch and say to themselves, well, entertaining and cute, this Year 2000 stuff,
and continue to munch pop-corn in their comfortable TV chairs.
Like Cory once said, sometimes you feel a strange urge to grab people and S-S-S-H-A-K-E them until they take notice.
But of course as a polite Swiss I would never really do such a thing.
-- R. Brunner, Megos AG
Author of the Y2K Diary (in German)
megos.ch |
