Government sets up consumer Y2K hotline

Key Qoute: ``We are committed to providing consumers the latest information on how the problem may, or may not, affect government services, banks, household appliances and other things they depend upon in their daily lives,'' John Koskinen, chairman of the council, said Thursday.

This should be interesting. -- Diane

http://www.mercurycenter.com/breaking/docs/060663.htm

Posted at 6:45 a.m. PST Friday, January 8, 1999

Government sets up consumer Y2K hotline

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The President's Council on Year 2000 is setting up a toll-free information line for answering consumers' queries about possible millennium problems.

By dialing 1-888-USA-4-Y2K, consumers can access prerecorded messages seven days a week, 24 hours a day on how personal computers, small business, telephones and other products or services will be affected by the approaching year 2000.

``We are committed to providing consumers the latest information on how the problem may, or may not, affect government services, banks, household appliances and other things they depend upon in their daily lives,'' John Koskinen, chairman of the council, said Thursday.

The information on the line comes from government agencies, companies or industry groups, reporting on what measures they are taking to prepare for 2000. That is when computer systems performing calculations involving dates may begin generating incorrect data if they recognize only the last two digits of a year because they will assume that 2000 is 1900.

Information specialists supported by researchers also will be on hand to answer consumer questions from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

At the end of the month, the line will provide a ``fax-on-demand'' system, enabling callers to receive printed material on the Y2K problem with the touch of a button.

Similar consumer information also can be obtained through the council's Web site at www.y2k.gov.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 08, 1999

Answers

Hotlinks:

The President's Council on Year 2000 web-site:

http://www.y2k.gov/

Confirming Hotline Press Release

http://www.y2k.gov/new/ 0107PRLS.htm

Explore the Y2K government web-sites -- search beyond the obvious.

http://www.info.gov/ cgi-bin/search_y2k

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 08, 1999.

Okay, Im game.

I WANT to know about my local electric utility company in Silicon Valley, PG&E, the company that recently brought us the San Francisco Blackout and the more recent news about the PG&E employee stashing bomb making supplies (uh, sorry fireworks) in their company locker and also nick-named, by fellow employees, as the Unibomber. In fact, Im REAL motivated to find out what is the ever shifting truth and what is a possible illusion. I kinds wonder if the FBI is too.

So, What IS PG&Es Y2K compliance, readiness and contingency planning status for their whole customer base, and where I can go for further truthful information?

Okay, I phoned 1-888-USA-4-Y2K or 1-888-872-4925 for my key consumer Y2K answer. Busy signal ... Busy again ... Busy ... Busy ... Busy.

Hummm. Maybe Ill wait until Monday. Maybe they wont be so busy.

No, there IS no Y2K problem. Is there?

Diane

(P.S. Anyone else get thru to them and wanna share the answer to your burning Y2K question?)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 08, 1999.

Diane: I had a feeling that the new hotline would be one busy signal... just like the IRS at tax time... and the social security number... I wonder how many incoming lines Koskinen et al. allowed for!! Perhaps the busy signal is a good indication of public awareness. I'm suddenly seeing Y2K everywhere. Such a switch from last September when it was nowhere. Good luck getting through!

-- Diane (DDEsq2002@juno.com), January 08, 1999.

Forget it, Diane. (Dianes?) You're light years ahead. They don't know anything. I got a nice, clueless lady on the phone, asked where I could I find out more info about my local power company. She said they don't have any info on power or banks, pointed me to NERC.

It sounded like she was in a BIG room with lots of people talking on the phone. I could even hear one guy next to her saying "Sir, we KNOW FOR A FACT that you will not have a problem receiving your blablabla..."

I asked her what kinds of questions they are getting, and what kinds of answers they are giving. Total boilerplate. Listen to the informational recordings for an idea of how in depth they are. Pretty lame. Maybe OK for a newbie, but we're old hats at this by now...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 08, 1999.

If you get a busy signal the back-up line is 1 888 USA 1900...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 08, 1999.

Don't waste your time calling, they don't know anymore than what you or I know, and even if it were bad news, they aren't going to tell you anything. Don't forget the media, they don't want bad news coming out in the media and causing a panic! When things start to fall in place you will know what to expect. In the meantime, they have a labor contract coming up in January 2000 so watch for a lot of labor saving changes to evolve and a lot of disgruntled employees.

-- lurker (lurker@lurk.com), January 08, 1999.