check out the following gov't website:

www.freedom.gov/y2k/grades/how.asp

Apparently with Rep. Horn's quarterly report cards, an agency can have its estimated completion date TWO full years past Jan. 1, 2000 and still receive a "C." (Self-reported info, too.)

I wish they graded on this kind of curve when I was in school.

The site explains:

"Finishing before the OMB deadline of March 31, 1999 earns a base grade of A. Finishing in the year 2000 or 2001 is a base grade of C. 2002 is a base grade of D. And, anything over 2002 is an F."

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), March 12, 1999

Answers

Rick:

I would like to see how the DGIs handle this one. It is sadly only to true, from all published reports.

As a sidelight, on his latest post, Yardeni (Yardeni.com) says that after he spoke at the Switzerland Conference (where Bill Gates said hes not worrried about Y2K), a video conference for World Economic Leaders was set up for March --- Yardeni was asked to participate.

He received an Email in late February that the Conference was cancelled due to LACK OF INTEREST.

We are in in a world of hurt, not to mention denial, deception, blindness, .....

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), March 12, 1999.

Yeah, I saw this. After reading the description of the grading system, I felt terrible. Too many lies. Deep, deep trouble.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), March 12, 1999.

This can't be real....... I'm imagining this. Rick, holy cow.

So - we can take all the departments and extrapolate pass/fail grades right now?

-- Lisa (lisa@ghast.good_god), March 12, 1999.

And don't forget, the agency that may have the most impact on business continuity of any variety across the nation - the USPS - isn't even on Congress' radar screen. It has never been graded. What's worse than an F?

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 12, 1999.

Someone -

Can someone list the link that shows the current rating of the different departments? Like Dept. of Energy, Dept. of Defense,NRC. Doesn't this make some of these absolute essential services pretty close to a par with Venzuala and Saudi and Mexico and the other countries that are so far behind and therefore capable of interfering with oil supplies the lack of which will be so crippling? Especially if you add in the strange disappearance of Mission Critical systems on some of the new reports?

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), March 12, 1999.

This is why I am incredulous about any remarks by government and corporate officials that Y2K will only be a bump in the road. Representative Horn used to be an honest voice calling for urgent action on Y2K. He is now taking his marching orders to put on a happy face. I am not a Dick Armey fan, but thank God he brought this subterfuge to light. Maybe his speaking out signals that the Republicans are starting to take Clinton on about his Y2K lies.

How comfortable would Steve Horn feel if his bank or electric utility told him that they will have their systems fixed in 2001?

-- Incredulous (ytt000@aol.com), March 12, 1999.

Valkerie and all, here's the links:

--Horn's February '99 Grade report: http://freedom.h ouse.gov/y2k/grades/grades.asp

--How Grades were Assigned: http://www.freedom.go v/y2k/grades/how.asp

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), March 12, 1999.

Note that DOE has moved from an F to a B since last report. Look at the "how" link, at the bottome it says about it:

"DOE is not projected to finish until 2004 and only 44 percent of their mission-critical systems will be compliant by OMB's deadline of March 1999. To make bad worse, they also have poor contingency plans, telecommunications systems, and embedded systems. If there was such a thing as F minus, DOE has earned it." (They answer your question, Brooks ;-) )

But, thank god for miracles! Just like flunking students everywhere, when teachers write a bad remark in their report cards, they turn to B and A students!

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), March 12, 1999.

"The departments and agencies are responsible for the accuracy and consistency of percentage reporting." (From the bottom of the grading page.)

Sounds to me like it's getting the students to grade themselves. I'd find the 3 month leap from F to B alot more credible if there were any indication as to how it was done. I noticed that it wasn't just the DOE that managed this feat. Looks like the only Dept that hasn't caught on is the Dept of State. Maybe the govt figures that the rest of the world is going to be so bad, there's no point to fixing State.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), March 12, 1999.

Guess the newsmedia is not the only group doing fuzzy Y2K reporting.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 13, 1999.

Even in school, a 'passing' grade of C means you didn't do that well, and got a lot of test questions wrong. And I never met any student who never got anything wrong.

If Horn's implication is that, like any student, an agency can get by with remediation incomplete, I'd have to agree with that. They may not get by very well, and their later performance may be pretty lousy; that's true of C students in general.

While the overall economic system shouldn't collapse because of so very many poor performers, certainly the efficiency of the system will suffer a big hit. Yourdon's decade of depression looks damn likely to me. I think my power will be available, but my ability to buy some of it is questionable.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 13, 1999.

I copied the article off to show people who aren't concerned because the "report card" is getting better. This is awful! They shouldn't be allowed to grade on such a curve!! This definately ups the scale on y2k!

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), March 13, 1999.

ROTFL

Must get real here.

[We hope that agencies will improve their rates of progress and move from an estimated 2001 to successful completion before the deadline.]

DUH! I think we have to do more than just hope.

[Obviously, those agencies estimated to finish in 2001 have further to go than those estimated to finish in 2000.]

DUH! Try a whole year to go.

Oh dear, sure likes like a bump in the road for us!

-- What The (hellisgoingon@gov.com), March 13, 1999.

They'll probably be using this to say "See? NO PROBLEMS!" over at the Gary North is a Big Fat Idiot forum.

-- mouse (lurker@numerousboards.com), March 13, 1999.

WE are "the bump in the road"!

-- Ouchie (ouch@thumpthump.com), March 15, 1999.