In the normal course of earning a living, I interact with bankers and senior bank management frequently. Because of the recent increased public awareness of Y2K, the panic level among bankers has risen dramatically. They are very scared of people taking their money out of the banks.

Unfortunately, this has led many of them to pass along overly optimistic information to their concerned customers. I've actually had a bank president tell me "Y2K won't be a problem for banking because it is one of the FEW business segments that will be ready for the Year 2000." Obviously this banker had no concept of the interconnectivity of the system and the effect failures in other sectors could have on banking.

I've also heard the following lines from bankers:

"I'm making sure I calm my customers by telling them that Y2K is going to be no big deal."

"Power outages occur all the time, and they never last very long. It'll be the same with Y2K."

"If all the doom-and-gloomers would just shut up, things would be OK."

"Y2K is primarily hype generated by all these people who are trying to sell something to the gullible."

"Your money is at greater risk if you hold it than if we keep it in our bank."

Most bankers are DWGIs, because to accept that Y2K could cause serious problems is to admit that they might be out of a job soon. My point is that, unfortunately, you should not put too much stock in what your banker tells you. The majority of them are currently being motivated by fear. Self-preservation is a human instinct that usually overrides all others, especially in this world of situational ethics we now live in. So beware of trusting those who have a large stake in making sure that you remain calm and unprepared.

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), January 25, 1999

Answers

you need desperatly to read this...

help for de-programming

(O:

-- Muhtha Nachu (---@woods.com), January 25, 1999.

Thats funny :)

Too bad computers don't give a shit about what Mr. Lynch thinks.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 25, 1999.

Muhtha, You need to research Y2K.

-- Bill Watt (wtwatt@sprynet.com), January 25, 1999.

I don't give a crap about what relgious zealots think about the comings and goings of angels, devils, whatever. It's just coincidental that the computer glitch is coming on the religous wackos "date of interest". It doesn't have anything to do with the religious aspect of the millennium -- IT'S THE COMPUTERS, STUPID

-- a (a@AisA.com), January 25, 1999.

Muhtha: You are obviously a clueless newbie, so I'll take it easy on you. First of all, forget everything you just read in last weeks Time magazine concerning religious nuts proclaiming y2k will mark the second coming of Jesus. OK, now get your head out your ass and look at the EVIDENCE. Like this post today on c.s.y2k between Cory and yet another mainframe expert:

> Worked on early teleprocessing. BTAM,VTAM,SNA,etc > Change team programmer. > Maintained internal IBM systems for domestic operation.15 cpus

> Hardcore VM and MVS systems programmer.

> Much later. Independent Consultant. Designed coded and installed > 911 dispatching /database systems. Small business systems,etc.

> Later. Contract programmer OS/390. Install many y2k tools and > products.

Uh-oh, here it is again. The heavy duty, industrial strength, gear heads are the most worried. > Now: Hunker down on the farm. Start bigger garden. Reload ammo. Get > out all my blacksmithing tools. Lay in big supply of coal and iron. > > y2k seriousness 10 (cause I see what they are doing, > and it isn't enough)

This is it. Another assessment from a potential Five Guys S/390 Inc. partner that matches Infomagic. What is it about you enterprise systems experts?

You all say the same thing. Is this really "game over"? Or do the clueless, handwavers have it right, that the systems aren't being fixed but will receive a visit from Santa on December 25, 1999?

==================

Now be a good boy and run to the store and buy some beans and rice.

-- a (a@a.a), January 25, 1999.

I read the deprogramming essay.

I will not meme, no I wont even if their claims dont float I will not meme on the net, or JQP may panic yet. I will not meme, just you wait, ooops..."prepare now, don't hesitate" I guess I memed, sorry folks, I hope you liked my silly joke.

-- meme (meme@contagian.com), January 25, 1999.

Muhtha, you desperatly need to read THIS

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 25, 1999.