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

To: Ken Salaets who wrote (3615)	2/3/1999 3:44:00 PM
From: Cheeky Kid	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

Kenny, you said: >>>I'd rather scare 'em now<<< That says allot about you!

To: Ken Salaets who wrote (3615)	2/3/1999 4:13:00 PM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

UK: 'One in three members of the general public feel the Millennium Bug is a threat to their personal safety, suggests a poll conducted by the market research firm Mori. Nearly as many Information Technology specialists feel the same way. The fears of supposedly informed professionals are perhaps the most striking feature of the survey carried out in January on behalf of the IT services company ICL. Fifty-three per cent would refuse to fly at midnight on New Year's Eve because of safety considerations compared to 43% of members of the public. Thirty-seven per cent of IT specialists are not confident that UK organisations have the problem under control and 62% feel it poses a serious threat to public services. Asked what systems or goods would be adversely affected by a two-digit date rollover from 99 to 00, 91% mentioned PCs, 81% security alarms, 72% video recorders, 70% shop tills, 69% telephone networks, 63% the Net and 54% traffic lights. The public listed PCs (65%), cashpoints (57%), security alarms (46%), the Net (44%) and video recorders (43%). ICL says all of the above may be affected. news.bbc.co.uk

To: Ken Salaets who wrote (3615)	2/3/1999 4:17:00 PM
From: O. H. Rundell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

<< Panic is a legitimate concern, but ya know what? Most panic springs from a simple lack of information of any sort. >> Ken, Re Panic: Let me add that the immediacy of the threat is also an important factor in determining whether panic ensues. This has been Ed Yardeni's and Douglass Carmichael's argument for governmental openness since sometime last year: Inform the public now, while Y2K is in the distant future, and there will be a minimum of panic. It would also help if the government leadership would give some individual preparation instructions/suggestions and if the government would announce contingency plans (e.g., like stocking public schools with a generator, water, and foodstuffs, etc.)as a backup just in case there is a long-term problem, say with the power grid. Unfortunately, none of this happened; and the government is clearly more worried about avoiding panic than in putting out the straight story. (I refer the reader to Ms. Abrams' call for "honest, but calming messages" and Mr. Koskinen's search for a PR firm.) The nearer Y2K approaches, the greater the probability of a panic, given our government's present course of spinning Y2K. Still, with 10+ months to go, we have time to get the message out without creating a panic, IMO. When we're down to 30 days, it'll be too late. Re Europe and Natural Gas: Seems I read somewhere in the last month or so that Germany gets 40% of it's electricity from Russia. Hmmmmm. Appreciate your posts. Regards, O. H.