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

To: Cheeky Kid who wrote (4816)	3/20/1999 2:45:00 AM
From: Ken	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

Wrong! Here is what the Panama Canal is facing! State Dept. study finds nations not ready for 2000 Testimony before the Senate will say that power supplies and transportation are threatened. By Robert A. Rankin INQUIRER WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Panama Canal will not admit ships next Dec. 31 because its traffic-management systems may fail due to the Year 2000 computer glitch, a Senate committee will be told today. That is but one example among many of how countries around the world remain unprepared for dealing with the so-called Y2K computer-program flaw less than a year before it strikes

To: Cheeky Kid who wrote (4816)	3/20/1999 10:17:00 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

Wrong! Here is what the Panama Canal is facing!- Ken I can see what you mean now Cheeky. Although I'm not stupid enough to say there won't be problems from Y2K, I get sick of people like Ken who can't think things through for themselves in order to derive what is fact and what is fiction. Take the Panama Canal for instance. The Senate commission suggested it would be closed due to traffic management system non-compliance, while the Journal of Commerce reports there will be few problems. Now which source should we believe? Which source is more credible? Having been to Panama several times and transited the canal once (for fun), I probably have a advantage in analyzing the Canal's vulnerabilties. But for the sake of someone who has no knowledge of the Canal at all, how should they assess who is telling the truth?? First, we all know it was built on technology and engineering principles that pre-date computers (many of the lock gates are still using their original 12 hp electric motors to open and close). Second, a little web research on the canal's operations would inform someone that little has changed in the day to day operation of the canal since its original opening. The valve systems for controlling water flow between locks are still utilized and have not been automated. Thirdly, one would have to ask how long the current TMS has been in place and the day to day dependencies operation of the canal have on this system. How did the canal operate prior to the computerized Traffic system?? The TMS system was installed in Oct, 1998 (last fall). That means that the canal has been operating on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis for decades without the benefit of a TMS. What the Canal Commission is worried about is the level of Y2K compliance of the ships transiting the canal. It would only take one or two of the big roll-on/roll-off carriers having a sudden breakdown in one of the "cuts" or Gatun Lake to effectively block all traffic. So ships transiting the canal will have to prove their ability to reliably transit the canal before being permitted to enter. Ken's problem is that he refuses to think things through. He wants to believe the most negative scenario imaginable (and I can relate to this to some extent from my early days of monitoring Y2K). He believes that computers control everything to the degree that Humanity will be utterly helpless without them. He fails to realize that we ran this country for decades without the internet, broadband technology, and robots. Would there be some disruptions?? You bet. But will corporations suddenly need a ton of manual labor to temporarily replace their automated systems that have failed?? You bet. Can we fix the problem?? You bet. Will we fix the problem if everyone panics and heads for the hills?? Eventually. I just can't spend the next 9 months sweating out what will or will not happen. I will adjust my life in as pragmatic and calm a manner as the circumstances permit. Regards, Ron