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

To: John D. McClure who wrote (3264)	1/13/1999 2:07:00 PM
From: B.K.Myers	Respond to of 9818

The Y2K Talk: Do's and Don'ts Computer World has a Y2K article titled "What to say about Y2K". It is basically a lawyers view/advice on what can be said and what can't be said about the Y2K problem. computerworld.com Sam Byassee, a partner at the law firm of Smith Helms Mullis & Moore LLP, in Raleigh, N.C., offers some pointers for year 2000 communications: — DO be responsive. Trying to stonewall or evade inquiries will raise a red flag and focus more attention on your company. — DO explain that the information being provided may change based on changes in future circumstances. — DO include a notice on written material that it's a "year 2000 readiness disclosure" pursuant to the federal Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act of 1998. Statements with that label can't be used as evidence in any lawsuit. — DO be truthful and as accurate as possible. — DO brief people who may be asked year 2000 questions on what the company is doing and what the appropriate type of response is. — DO have those people add that they aren't directly involved in the project and that for more detailed information, the questioner should contact the project office. — DON'T assume that you must use the questionnaire form that an organization asks you to answer. DO provide information that you think will be useful and DO offer to work with the other party to address any concerns specific to your company. That helps to show due diligence without wasting your time on minutiae that doesn't apply. — DON'T sign a questionnaire that says you're certifying anything, indemnifying the other company or providing a warranty. DO provide the appropriate information and send it back with a letter declining to accept the additional risk requested in the certification or warranty. — DON'T assume that if you're ready internally for year 2000, you won't have any problems. — DON'T allow any overoptimism or overconfidence to creep into your response. — DON'T give firm projections even if your project is on schedule. — DON'T give an absolute deadline for when you'll be ready. "It's the difference between 'We will be ready' and 'We now expect to be ready,' " Byassee notes. — DON'T provide more information than requested, even if you're proud of the work you've accomplished. "If you say 10 things, you have 10 chances of something going wrong," Byassee says. "If you say 20 things, you have 20 chances."