Navy says no need to worry about Y2K disruptions...greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread |
The following was forwarded to me from an e-mail list I'm on:[Y2kWatchNews] (Fwd) QUALITY OF LIFE GUIDANCE ON YEAR 2000 (Y2K)
>This is an e-mail we (Navy employees) received to tell us that the >Y2K bug will not effect us. No big problem...., we'll see! > > >Subject: QUALITY OF LIFE GUIDANCE ON YEAR 2000 (Y2K) >Date sent: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 15:12:33 -0500 > > >> >> ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE >> >> ROUTINE >> >> R 101715Z FEB 99 ZYB MIN >> >> FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC >> >> TO ALNAV >> >> INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD:PA/DDI/DPL// >> SA WASHINGTON DC//SAPA-SC// >> HQ DA WASHINGTON DC//SAPA-ZA/SAIS-ZA// >> OSAF WASHINGTON DC//PA// >> HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC//SC// >> CMC WASHINGTON DC//PA/C4I// >> COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-BPA// >> HQ ANGRC ANDREWS AFB MD//PA// >> NGB WASHINGTON DC//PA// >> >> ***THIS IS A 4 PART MSG COLLATED BY MDS*** >> UNCLAS//N05720// >> ALNAV 006/99 >> >> MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV// >> >> SUBJ/GUIDANCE ON YEAR 2000 (Y2K) RELATED ISSUES// >> >> RMKS/1. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE OUR SAILORS WITH SOUND, >> USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF Y2K ON THEIR >> PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES, AS WELL AS THE LIVES OF THEIR >> FAMILIES. >> >> 2. THE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) "MILLENNIUM BUG" IS BECOMING AN >> INCREASINGLY POPULAR SUBJECT FOR THE "TALKING HEADS" OF THE >> WORLD AS MASS MEDIA FOCUS ON POSSIBLE Y2K DISRUPTIONS AND >> EXTREMISTS PREDICT CATASTROPHIC SOCIAL BREAKDOWN. ADDITIONALLY, >> AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ENTREPRENEURS AND "SCAM ARTISTS" VIEW >> Y2K AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY FOR >> PERSONAL PROFIT. >> >> 3. THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MESSAGES PREPARED BY THE >> NAVY OFFICE OF INFORMATION (CHINFO) ADDRESSING HOW SAILORS CAN >> EXPECT Y2K TO AFFECT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BOTH THE DOMESTIC AND >> THE MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE. COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS IN >> CHARGE SHOULD ENSURE WIDEST POSSIBLE DISSEMINATION OF THIS >> INFORMATION VIA PLAN OF THE DAY (POD), COMMAND NEWSPAPER, >> FAMILYGRAM, SITE TV, DAILY QUARTERS, CAPTAIN'S CALL AND OTHER >> APPROPRIATE VENUES. >> >> 4. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DRAWN FROM A VARIETY OF PRIVATE >> SECTOR AND OFFICIAL SOURCES INCLUDING COMMERCIAL NEWS MEDIA >> PRODUCTS. THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT NOT >> NECESSARILY AUTHORITATIVE, AS NO ONE CAN PREDICT FUTURE EVENTS >> WITH COMPLETE CERTAINTY. THIS PARTICULAR MESSAGE ADDRESSES ONLY >> A FEW OF THE WIDE ARRAY OF Y2K TOPICS. FUTURE MESSAGES WILL >> CONTINUE TO ADDRESS OTHER AREAS IN MORE DETAIL. TOGETHER, THIS >> SERIES OF MESSAGES SHOULD PROVIDE A CURRENT, COMPREHENSIVE >> DATABASE OF Y2K INFORMATION. LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION >> ABOUT Y2K RELATED ISSUES TO BE COMMUNICATED ON A REGULAR BASIS >> THROUGH NAVY INTERNAL MEDIA SUCH AS ALL HANDS MAGAZINE, NAVY- >> MARINE CORPS NEWS, DIRECT TO SAILOR AND NAVY NEWS SERVICE. Y2K >> INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING NAVY WEB >> SITES: WWW.NAVY.MIL WWW.CNOY2K.NAVY.MIL DONCIO.NAVY.MIL >> >> A. Y2K BUG--GENERAL/BACKGROUND: >> Q1. WHAT IS THE YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN? >> A1. THE YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE POTENTIALLY AFFECTS ANY DIGITAL >> COMPUTER SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT OR PRODUCT THAT USES DATE >> INFORMATION. IT ARISES FROM THE NEARLY UNIVERSAL PRACTICE IN >> ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS OF USING TWO RATHER THAN FOUR >> DIGITS TO DESIGNATE THE CALENDAR YEAR (E.G., DD/MM/YY). IT ALSO >> HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE COMMON PRACTICE OF USING TWO DIGITS TO >> SHORTHAND REFERENCES TO THE YEAR (JUST AS PEOPLE COMMONLY REFER >> >> TO "THE CLASS OF '99'" INSTEAD OF THE "CLASS OF 1999"). THIS >> COMMON PRACTICE CAN LEAD TO INCORRECT RESULTS WHENEVER COMPUTER >> SYSTEMS, SOFTWARE OR MICROCHIPS PERFORM ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS, >> COMPARISONS OR DATA FIELD SORTING INVOLVING YEARS LATER THAN >> 1999. NON-COMPLIANT SYSTEMS MAY INTERPRET 00 AS THE YEAR 1900, >> 01 AS THE YEAR 1901, ETC. >> B. DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (DFAS): >> Q2. WILL PAY AND ALLOWANCES BE DISRUPTED BY Y2K? >> A2. THE DFAS SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAS MADE THE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) >> PROBLEM DFAS' NUMBER ONE SYSTEMS PRIORITY. THE CORPORATE LEVEL >> INITIATIVE WAS BEGUN OVER 2 YEARS AGO, AND SYSTEM LEVEL >> INITIATIVES WERE BEGUN AS FAR BACK AS 1991. ALL DFAS SYSTEMS ARE >> SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLIANT BY MAR 31, 1999. >> C. PERSONAL FINANCES: >> Q3. I HEARD LOTS OF CONFLICTING ADVICE ON HOW I SHOULD HANDLE >> MY PERSONAL FINANCES IN ORDER TO BE WELL PREPARED FOR JAN 1, >> 2000. WHAT SHOULD I DO? >> A3. THE BEST ADVICE IS DON'T DO ANYTHING RASH WITH YOUR >> FINANCES. MOST BANKS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, SINCE THINGS LIKE LOAN >> CALCULATIONS AND THE LIKE HAVE REQUIRED YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCY FOR >> YEARS. SO KEEP YOUR MONEY IN THE BANK AND DON'T CASH IN YOUR >> INVESTMENTS. BEWARE OF THE SCAM ARTISTS WHO PREY ON YOUR FEARS. >> THEIR INTEREST IS IN GETTING YOUR MONEY, NOT YOUR WELL-BEING. >> MANY Y2K SALES PITCHES ARE DESIGNED TO SCARE YOU INTO DOING >> SOMETHING RASH. IF AN OFFER SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT >> PROBABLY IS. AS WITH ANY SOUND FINANCIAL PLAN, YOU SHOULD HAVE >> GOOD PAPER RECORDS OF YOUR ACCOUNTS AND BANK STATEMENTS. HAVING >> THESE STATEMENTS ALLOWS YOU TO QUICKLY RESOLVE ANY >> ADMINISTRATIVE ERRORS THAT MIGHT OCCUR AT ANY TIME, NOT JUST IN >> THE EVENT OF A Y2K-CAUSED ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR. IF YOU HAVE >> SPECIFIC QUESTIONS CONCERNING YOUR INVESTMENTS AND ACCOUNTS, >> CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS DIRECTLY AND ASK THEM ABOUT >> THEIR Y2K COMPLIANCY. >> D. TELEPHONE SYSTEMS: >> Q4. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY TELEPHONE SERVICE? >> A4. THERE ARE VARYING ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION. ACCORDING TO >> AMERITECH SPOKESMAN FRANK MITCHELL, "BASICALLY, NOTHING WILL >> CHANGE. YOUR CALLER ID AND NETWORK WILL WORK. AND WE'RE >> CURRENTLY UPDATING THE 911 SERVICES WE ARE INVOLVED WITH SO >> THERE WILL BE NO DISRUPTIONS." MOST Y2K OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT >> WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION OF SERVICE IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY. >> INCORRECT BILLING IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR. OBVIOUSLY >> UNFORESEEN EVENTS, INCLUDING ISSUES NOT RELATED TO POSSIBLE Y2K >> PROBLEMS (IE. ICE STORMS) MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PHONE >> COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN ALL SERVICE. NAVY SWITCHES ON BASES AND >> INSTALLATIONS HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND ONLY 21 OF 165 SWITCHES >> STILL REQUIRE MODIFICATIONS TO MEET BILLING AND MAINTENANCE >> FUNCTIONS RELATED TO YEAR 2000 REQUIREMENTS. WORK IS UNDERWAY >> >> TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED FIXES AND ALL WORK WILL BE COMPLETED >> BY 30 JUNE 1999. >> Q5: WILL I BE ABLE TO PLACE LOCAL AND LONG-DISTANCE CALLS IN THE >> NORMAL WAY AFTER JAN 1, 2000? >> A5: YES, ACCORDING TO U.S. WEST'S YEAR 2000 INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE >> DIRECTOR IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GLENWOOD POST JAN 4, 1999. U.S. >> WEST IS A TELEPHONE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES LONG-DISTANCE SERVICE >> >> TO CUSTOMERS IN 14 WESTERN STATES. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILLIAM >> WHITE EXPLAINED THAT MOST TELEPHONE SWITCHES, WHICH RELAY LONG- >> DISTANCE CALLS TO THEIR PROPER DESTINATION, ARE NOT DATE- >> DEPENDENT. "MOST SWITCHES DON'T CARE WHAT DAY IT IS," WHITE >> EXPLAINED, WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLETING CALLS. "IF YOU CAN'T >> PROGRAM A DATE INTO IT, IT'S LIKELY TO BE VERY DATE >> INSENSITIVE." WHITE SAID REGIONAL TELEPHONE COMPANIES HAVE >> COLLABORATED TO ENSURE THE SWITCHED NETWORK WORKS SMOOTHLY >> THROUGH THE DATE CHANGE. >> E. ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS: >> Q6. WILL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS BE Y2K READY IN TIME? >> A6. BASED ON RECENT ANALYSIS, ON AVERAGE, THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY >> IS CLOSE TO ITS Y2K READINESS TARGETS. ACCORDING TO A REPORT >> PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BY THE NORTH AMERICAN >> ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY COUNCIL, "NEARLY ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS >> NECESSARY TO OPERATE INTO THE YEAR 2000 WILL HAVE BEEN TESTED, >> REMEDIATED, AND DECLARED Y2K READY BY JUNE 30, 1999." >> Q7. SOME REPORTS PREDICT THAT THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD POWER >> OUTAGES ANTICIPATED AT THE YEAR 2000 MARK. IS THIS TRUE? >> A7. WHILE WE CAN'T BE CERTAIN THERE WON'T BE SOME MINOR POWER >> DISRUPTIONS, INDUSTRY EXPERTS DO NOT PREDICT WIDESPREAD OUTAGES. >> SPECULATION THAT POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS WILL EXPERIENCE >> WIDESPREAD FAILURES ARE NOT BASED ON FACTS OR RATIONAL ANALYSIS >> OF INFORMATION FROM THE INDUSTRY. CONTINUITY OF SERVICE IS A >> HISTORICAL HALLMARK OF THE NATION'S UTILITY INDUSTRY. >> ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY EFFORTS ARE ON-TARGET TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME >> QUALITY OF SERVICE THROUGH THE MILLENNIUM. >> F. WATER UTILITIES: >> Q8. WILL THE WATER UTILITY COMPANIES BE Y2K COMPLIANT BY 2000? >> A8. INDUSTRY EXPERTS OFFER A RANGE OF ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION. >> SOME EXPERTS PREDICT THAT SOME WATER SUPPLIERS MAY BE >> TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO MEET CUSTOMER DEMAND. HOWEVER, WATER >> UTILITIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE COMPREHENSIVE Y2K- >> COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS UNDER WAY AND ARE SPENDING LARGE SUMS OF >> MONEY TO PREPARE THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO BECOME Y2K-COMPLIANT >> OR Y2K-READY. MOST EXPERTS BELIEVE WATER TREATMENT AND >> DISTRIBUTION SHOULD NOT BE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE Y2K PROBLEM. >> G. POSTAL SERVICE: >> Q9. WILL THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE (USPS) BE COMPLIANT BEFORE JAN >> 1, 2000? >> A9. ALTHOUGH USPS HAS NOT RELEASED A GREAT DEAL OF SPECIFIC >> INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR Y2K EFFORTS, THE POSTAL SERVICE'S >> WEB SITE STATES THAT USPS INTENDS TO HAVE SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT >> USED TO PROCESS MAIL READY BY YEAR 2000. >> H. STOCKS AND SECURITIES: >> Q10. WILL THE STOCK MARKET STILL OPERATE NORMALLY, OR WILL IT >> CRASH WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT ON DEC 31, 1999? >> A10. FINAL RESULTS OF THE SECURITIES INDUSTRY'S DRY RUN OF ITS >> YEAR 2000 INDUSTRY-WIDE TESTS VERIFIED THAT FIRMS WERE ABLE TO >> INPUT TRADES IN A SIMULATED YEAR 2000-ENVIRONMENT, AND SEND THEM >> >> TO THE APPROPRIATE MARKET FOR EXECUTION, CONFIRMATION AND >> CLEARANCE. THE MARKETS WERE LIKEWISE ABLE TO PROCESS THE TRADES >> ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE. "THE TEST FULFILLED ITS PURPOSE," SAID DON >> KITTELL, SECURITIES INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (SIA) EXECUTIVE VICE >> PRESIDENT IN AN ARTICLE POSTED ON SIA'S WEBSITE. "WE LEARNED A >> GREAT DEAL ABOUT HOW TO CONDUCT THE INDUSTRY-WIDE TEST." KITTELL >> EMPHASIZED THE SCRIPTS ARE BEING REFINED AND SOME OF THE TESTING >> PROCESSES MODIFIED BASED ON INPUT FROM THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE >> BETA TEST. "WE'LL BE MUCH BETTER PREPARED FOR THE TESTING THIS >> YEAR IN MARCH AS A RESULT OF THE TREMENDOUS EFFORT THAT WAS PUT >> IN THIS DRESS REHEARSAL," HE SAID. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, >> CHECK THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS WEBSITE AT >> WWW.NASD.COM >> I. CIVIL AVIATION/FAA: >> Q11. WILL THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS >> OPERATE PROPERLY IN THE YEAR 2000 OR WILL AIR TRAVEL BE >> DISRUPTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY'S SKIES? >> A11. MANY OF THE FAA'S SYSTEMS ARE CLASSIFIED AS MISSION >> CRITICAL. SEVERAL OF THOSE MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS ARE IMPACTED >> BY YEAR 2000 AND REQUIRE REPAIRS TO BECOME YEAR 2000 COMPLIANT. >> FORTUNATELY, THOSE REPAIRS ARE WELL UNDERWAY AND MANY SYSTEMS >> HAVE ALREADY BEEN RENOVATED AND CERTIFIED COMPLIANT. A SCHEDULE >> HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT REQUIRES ALL FAA SYSTEMS TO BE YEAR >> 2000 COMPLIANT BY JUN 30, 1999. >> J. HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES: >> Q12. WILL ALL MY HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES STILL OPERATE NORMALLY >> AFTER THE YEAR 2000 STARTS? >> A12. THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (CEMA) >> FILED COMMENTS WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) STATING >> THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS WILL NOT >> EXPERIENCE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEIR COMPONENTS ARE >> NOT DATE SENSITIVE. CEMA'S COMMENTS WERE THE RESULT OF A RECENT >> MEMBER SURVEY CONDUCTED IN RESPONSE TO THE FTC'S MAY 6, 1998 >> REQUEST FOR COMMENT. MEMBER COMPANY INPUT INDICATES THAT ONLY A >> FEW PRODUCTS MAY BE AFFECTED(OLDER VCR MACHINES AND COFFEE POTS >> WITH DIGITAL CLOCK TIMERS FOR EXAMPLE). FIXES WILL LIKELY BE >> AVAILABLE FOR AFFECTED PRODUCTS. IF IN DOUBT, CONTACT THE >> PRODUCT'S MANUFACTURER FOR DETAILS. >> K. FOOD SUPPLY: >> Q13. WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT POTENTIAL FOOD >> SUPPLY PROBLEMS? >> A13. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS UNDERTAKING A MASSIVE OUTREACH >> PROGRAM AIMED AT MAKING PRIVATE-SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS AWARE OF >> Y2K PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. ACCORDING TO U.S. SECRETARY OF >> AGRICULTURE, DAN GLICKMAN, "THE USDA FOOD SUPPLY WORKING GROUP >> IS COMMITTED TO ASSURING THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED IN FOOD SUPPLY >> PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION IS AWARE OF POTENTIAL Y2K PROBLEMS, >> UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTING NOW TO CHECK THEIR SYSTEMS, >> AND KNOWS WHERE THEY CAN GO FOR HELP. OUR GOAL: TO DO WHATEVER >> WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY DISRUPTION IN THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN COME >> JANUARY 1, 2000." THE USDA FSWG WEB SITE CAN BE LOCATED AT >> WWW2.HQNET.USDA.GOV/APHIS/FSWG. >> L. AUTOMOBILES: >> Q14. WILL MY CAR START ON JAN 1, 2000? >> A14. ALMOST CERTAINLY. CARS AND TRUCKS SHOULD BE UNAFFECTED BY >> THE Y2K BUG, ACCORDING TO SPOKESPERSON MITCH FUGUA OF THE >> AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. THAT IS BECAUSE VEHICLE >> COMPUTERS RECOGNIZE TIME ONLY IN THE PASSING OF MILLI-SECONDS, >> NOT MONTHS AND YEARS. IF YOU THINK YOUR CAR MIGHT BE "DATE >> AWARE" OR TO ENSURE YOUR PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL ARE >> UNAFFECTED, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE >> OR DEALER. >> M. SOCIAL SECURITY: >> Q15. WHAT ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM? WILL IT STILL >> OPERATE AFTER DEC 31, 1999? >> A15. YES. SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS WILL BE ON TIME WHEN THE NEW >> MILLENNIUM ARRIVES. "A YEAR IN ADVANCE, PEOPLE CAN BE SURE THEIR >> CHECKS ARE GOING TO BE THERE ON TIME," ACCORDING TO COMMISSIONER >> KENNETH APFEL, ON NBC'S "TODAY" SHOW. "WE HAD ABOUT 30-PLUS >> MILLION LINES (OF COMPUTER CODE) THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TO >> FIX THIS ISSUE AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STAFF HAVE BEEN >> SPENDING TIME ON IT, BUT IT'S NOW RESOLVED. APFEL SAID HIS >> AGENCY TACKLED THE PROBLEM THROUGH "PLAIN OLD-FASHIONED HARD >> WORK" AND BY FOOLING THE SYSTEMS WITH TESTS THAT SIMULATED THAT >> THE YEAR 2000 HAD ALREADY ARRIVED. THE IMMEDIATE BENEFICIARIES >> WILL BE THE ESTIMATED 46 MILLION AMERICANS WHO RELY ON SOCIAL >> SECURITY CHECKS EACH MONTH. "WE HAD TO BRING IN AN INDEPENDENT >> CONTRACTOR WORKING WITH THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND THE SOCIAL >> SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND DO AN OUTSIDE EVALUATION AND MAKE >> SURE THOSE CHECKS WERE GOING TO WORK AND I CAN TELL YOU WE >> PASSED THAT TEST WITH FLYING COLORS," APFEL SAID. >> N. Y2K PERSONAL COMPUTER ISSUES: >> Q16. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF MY HOME PC IS READY FOR THE CHANGE >> FROM 1999 TO 2000? >> A16. THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO FIND OUT IF YOUR >> COMPUTER IS COMPLIANT. GO TO THE MANUFACTURER'S WORLDWIDE WEB >> SITE. ON THESE SITES, YOU WILL MOST LIKELY FIND A YEAR 2000 >> COMPLIANCE SECTION OR CHART. THE WEB SITE WILL LIKELY TELL YOU >> YOUR SYSTEM IS Y2K COMPLIANT OR YOU WILL BE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS >> ON WHAT TO DO TO MAKE YOUR SYSTEM COMPLIANT. IF YOU HAVE AN >> OLDER SYSTEM, OR THE MANUFACTURER IS OUT OF BUSINESS, THE >> SOLUTION MAY BE A HARDWARE UPGRADE. IF A WEB SITE IS NOT >> AVAILABLE, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER >> DIRECTLY. YOU CAN ALSO LINK TO NUMEROUS Y2K SITES TO GET MORE >> INFORMATION ON TOOLS AND REMEDIATION PROCEDURES. BE AWARE THAT >> MANY MANUFACTURERS AND Y2K SITES ARE ALSO OFFERING FREEWARE TO >> HELP RESOLVE Y2K DIFFICULTIES, SO CHECK OUT ALL YOUR OPTIONS >> BEFORE YOU ARE TEMPTED TO PURCHASE Y2K REMEDIATION TOOLS. >> Q17. HOW SERIOUS ARE THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR PC OWNERS? >> A17. COMPARED TO THE MAINFRAME COMPUTERS USED BY LARGE >> BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, PC OWNERS HAVE LITTLE TO >> WORRY ABOUT BEYOND A SMALL POTENTIAL FOR MINOR INCONVENIENCES. >> COMPUTERS WITH INTEL PENTIUM CPU'S OR OTHER PROCESSORS BUILT >> AFTER ABOUT 1997 SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY Y2K HARDWARE PROBLEMS AT >> ALL. OWNERS OF MOST OLDER PC'S CAN CONDUCT A SIMPLE TEST TO MAKE >> SURE THE MACHINE'S BIOS (BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS >> THE MOST BASIC MACHINE FUNCTIONS) WILL PROPERLY KEEP TRACK OF >> THE TIME AFTER THE CENTURY CHANGES. HERE'S HOW TO TEST YOUR PC: >> FIRST, TEMPORARILY DISABLE ANY PROGRAMS THAT NORMALLY START AS >> SOON AS YOUR COMPUTER IS TURNED ON, ESPECIALLY IF THE PROGRAMS >> ARE DATE OR TIME RELATED SUCH AS CALENDAR PROGRAMS, VIRUS >> CHECKERS, ETC. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE TEMPORARILY >> DISABLED BEFORE YOU FORWARD ANY CLOCKS ON YOUR PC. YOU SHOULD >> ALSO MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF THESE PROGRAMS ON FLOPPY DISK BECAUSE >> THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THEY MAY BECOME PERMANENTLY DISABLED IF >> THEY PERCEIVE THAT THEIR LICENSE IS EXPIRED BECAUSE OF ROLLING >> THE CLOCK FORWARD. ONE WAY FOR WINDOWS USERS TO REMOVE SOME OF >> THOSE PROGRAMS IS TO TEMPORARILY MOVE THE SHORTCUTS IN THE >> STARTUP FOLDER TO ANOTHER FOLDER. THE STARTUP FOLDER CAN BE >> FOUND IN WINDOWS, START MENU, PROGRAMS, AND STARTUP. DON'T >> FORGET TO MOVE THE SHORTCUTS BACK AFTER THE TEST. DETERMINE >> WHETHER THE PC CONTAINS ANY SOFTWARE THAT WILL EXPIRE AS OF A >> PARTICULAR DATE. THIS MAY INCLUDE SOFTWARE YOU HAVE DOWNLOADED >> FROM THE INTERNET ON A TRIAL BASIS OR SOFTWARE THAT REQUIRES YOU >> >> TO RENEW AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (I.E., "OIL CHANGE" AND SEVERAL >> ANTI-VIRUS PACKAGES). IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, CONTACT THE SOFTWARE >> VENDOR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TESTING FOR Y2K. THEN, START THE >> COMPUTER'S CMOS SETUP ROUTINE. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE HOW TO DO >> THIS, CHECK THE SETUP SECTION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH >> YOUR COMPUTER. RESET THE SYSTEM CLOCK TO 23:30 DEC 31, 1999 AND >> WAIT. THE SYSTEM TIME WILL PROBABLY ROLL OVER TO JAN 1, 2000 >> WITHOUT PROBLEMS. NOW SHUT DOWN THE MACHINE, WAIT 20 SECONDS OR >> SO, AND RESTART IT. MOST MACHINES WILL COME UP BELIEVING THE >> DATE IS JAN 1, 2000. COMPUTERS WITH PROBLEMS WILL BELIEVE >> THE YEAR IS 1900 OR 1980 OR SOME OTHER INCORRECT YEAR, DEPENDING >> UPON THE SYSTEM. A FEW COMPUTERS CAN MAKE THE YEAR CHANGE BUT >> THEN HAVE PROBLEMS KEEPING TRACK OF THE DAY AND MONTH IN YEARS >> 2000 AND BEYOND SO IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO LET THE MACHINE RUN FOR >> 24 HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TEST TO MAKE SURE THE CALENDAR UPDATES >> CORRECTLY. >> O. BANKING/CREDIT UNIONS: >> Q18. WHAT ARE BANKS DOING TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS ON Y2K? >> A18. BANKS HAVE BECOME COMMUNITY LEADERS ON Y2K BY HELPING THEIR >> CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUE AND MAKE >> PREPARATIONS. THEY ARE HOLDING SMALL BUSINESS SEMINARS AND >> WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ENCOURAGE READINESS. >> Q19. HOW ARE BANKS PREPARING FOR Y2K? >> A19. INDEPENDENT SOURCES, INCLUDING CONSULTANTS AND COLUMNISTS, >> HAVE SINGLED OUT THE BANKING INDUSTRY AS ONE OF THE BEST >> PREPARED TO KEEP THEIR BUSINESS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. BANKS ARE >> PREPARING IN A SIMILAR FASHION AS THEY WOULD FOR A FIRE, >> HURRICANE, FLOOD OR OTHER POTENTIAL CRISIS. THEY HAVE BACKUP >> PLANS SO THAT IT WILL BE BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR ALL OF THEIR >> CUSTOMERS. >> Q20. HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT MY BANK/CREDIT UNION IS DOING TO >> PREPARE FOR Y2K? >> A20. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR BANK OR CREDIT UNION, STOP >> BY FOR A VISIT OR CALL THEM TO HEAR ABOUT THE THINGS THEY ARE >> DOING TO KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE. NAVY FEDERAL >> CREDIT UNION HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARD ACHIEVING A SEAMLESS >> TRANSITION TO THE YEAR 2000 SINCE 1991. NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT >> UNION HAS POSTED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THEIR WEBSITE: "NAVY >> FEDERAL WANTS TO REASSURE OUR MEMBERS THAT WE ARE TAKING A >> PROACTIVE APPROACH TO THE YEAR 2000. IN FACT, WE HAVE BEEN AN >> INDUSTRY LEADER -- WORKING WITH AND ADVISING CREDIT UNION TRADE >> ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR REGULATOR TO ASSIST OTHER CREDIT UNIONS >> WITH YEAR 2000 ISSUES." THE NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WEBSITE IS >> LOCATED AT WWW.NAVYFCU.ORG MANY BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS ARE >> INCLUDING Y2K UPDATES IN THEIR MONTHLY STATEMENTS. LOOK FOR >> THEM. >> P. HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT >> Q21. HOW CAN I ENSURE MY HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WILL BE Y2K >> READY? >> A21. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU COULD DO. 1) TALK TO THE COMPANY >> YOU LEASED THE EQUIPMENT FROM AND ASK ABOUT ITS Y2K STATUS; 2) >> ACCESS THE FDA WEB SITE AT WWW.FDA.GOV/CDRH AND CLICK ON THE >> YEAR 2000 ICON. SEVERAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ARE >> LISTED WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS. LOOK UP THE Y2K >> STATUS OF YOUR EQUIPMENT, OR CONTACT THE COMPANY DIRECTLY; AND, >> 3) CHECK FOR A 1-800 NUMBER LISTED ON THE EQUIPMENT AND CALL FOR >> INFORMATION. >> Q. MILITARY HEALTH CARE: >> Q22. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF DOD HEALTH AFFAIRS COMPLIANCE WITH >> Y2K? >> A22. DOD BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT IS CURRENTLY 96 PERCENT Y2K COMPLIANT. >> THE REMAINING 4 PERCENT WILL BE COMPLIANT BY MAR 31, 1999. >> "BIOMEDICAL" MEANS INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT TYPICALLY FOUND IN A >> CLINIC, HOSPITAL, DOCTOR'S OR DENTIST'S OFFICE. AS AN EXAMPLE, SOME >> ELECTROCARDIOGRAM MACHINES HAVE A DATE FUNCTION WHICH COULD BE >> AFFECTED BY Y2K. HOWEVER, THE EKG EQUIPMENT RECORDS ANALOG >> SIGNALS WHICH ARE NOT DATE DEPENDENT, THE EQUIPMENT DEALS WITH >> DATES ONLY TO TAG THE DATA. DOD HEALTH AFFAIRS HAS TAKEN THE >> LEAD ON VERIFYING BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE ALONG WITH A >> MULTI-AGENCY FEDERAL WORKING GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ARMY, NAVY, >> AIR FORCE, VETERANS AFFAIRS, INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, AND PUBLIC >> HEALTH SERVICE. THE GROUP HAS COLLABORATED WITH EQUIPMENT >> MANUFACTURERS TO DEVELOP A DATABASE OF COMPLIANCE INFORMATION >> FOR BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THE MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM. >> Q23. WILL Y2K AFFECT MY FAMILY'S DEERS ENROLLMENT? >> A23. BUMED IS TRACKING THE DEFENSE ELIGIBILITY ENROLLMENT >> REPORTING SYSTEM (DEERS) WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CONFIRMS MEDICAL >> BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY. DEERS IS ON TRACK FOR Y2K COMPLIANCE BY MAR >> 31, 1999. >> Q24. WHEN DOES DOD EXPECT TRICARE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE? >> A24. ACCORDING TO MS. CLARISA REBERKENNY OF OSD HEALTH AFFAIRS, >> ALL MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS >> ARE UNDERGOING END TO END TESTING FOR Y2K COMPLIANCE. DOD >> OFFICIALS ARE MEETING WITH TRICARE CONTRACTORS ON A RECURRING >> BASIS TO MONITOR PROGRESS. THE DOD DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE IS >> MAR 31, 1999. >> >> 5. AMERICAN FAMILIES STATIONED OVERSEAS MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN >> LOCAL COMMUNITIES NOT AS FULLY PREPARED TO DEAL WITH YEAR 2000 >> (Y2K) CONCERNS AS BACK HOME. THE GOOD NEWS IS INFRASTRUCTURES >> OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA MAY BE LESS DEPENDENT ON CENTRALIZED >> COMPUTERIZED SERVICES, SO THE CONSEQUENCES OF A SINGLE COMPUTER >> FAILURE MAY BE LESS INTRUSIVE IN DAILY LIVING. THE BAD NEWS IS >> IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO FIND ANYONE WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS >> ABOUT LOCAL CAPABILITIES, OR THE STATUS OF EFFORTS TO COPE WITH >> Y2K ISSUES. THERE IS, FORTUNATELY, A GROWING AWARENESS OF THE >> POTENTIAL PROBLEM. JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND GERMANY, WHERE >> MANY AMERICAN MILITARY ARE STATIONED HAVE EXTENSIVE Y2K >> PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EUROPEAN UNION RECOGNIZES THE >> POSSIBILITY OF A SERIOUS DISRUPTION, AND HAS A VERY GOOD Y2K >> WEBSITE AT
. IN EUROPE, NAVEUR BASE >> CO'S ARE VERY AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF Y2K ON DON FAMILIES >> AND ARE ACTIVELY QUERYING LOCAL COMPANIES WHICH PROVIDE ELECTRICAL >> POWER, GAS, WATER/SEWAGE, TELEPHONE SERVICE AND BANKING SERVICES >> >> TO BASES AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR >> FAMILIES LIVE. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL BASE/STATION Y2K OFFICE FOR >> ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. >> >> 6. COMMANDS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL POINTS >> REGARDING Y2K TO ALL HANDS: >> -- BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE PREPARATION THE EFFECTS OF THE Y2K BUG >> WILL BE MINIMAL ON THE LIVES OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. >> -- KEEP YOUR MONEY IN THE BANK. DON'T CASH IN YOUR STOCKS. >> -- YOUR MILITARY PAY RECORDS AND PERSONNEL RECORDS WILL BE SAFE. >> -- DON'T OVER PREPARE. THINK ABOUT Y2K AS A POTENTIAL WINTER STORM >> AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY. >> -- SINCE COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY >> AND AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT SOME POSSIBLE >> DEGRADATION OF NETWORK-DEPENDENT SYSTEMS FOR A SHORT PERIOD, BUT >> THE EFFECTS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE AN INCONVENIENCE, NOT A >> CATASTROPHE. >> -- IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU THE SKY IS FALLING IN REGARDS TO Y2K-- >> BEWARE, THEY ARE PROBABLY TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING. >> >> 7. THIS ALNAV IS CANCELLED FOR RECORD PURPOSES ON JAN 1, 2001. >> >> 8. RELEASED BY THE HONORABLE RICHARD DANZIG, SECRETARY OF THE >> NAVY.// >> >> BT >> >> . > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sounds like the Navy is trying to spin down the concerns of its enlisted personnel... Any other info out there on this?
-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), March 17, 1999
Lots more on this on an earlier thread:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000a Id
-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), March 17, 1999.
That makes a pretty cool wallpaper!
-- @ (@@@.@), March 17, 1999.
May I have some Advil please?
-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), March 17, 1999.
Sorry about the formatting guys...
-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), March 17, 1999.
>This is an e-mail we (Navy employees) received to tell us that the Y2K bug will not effect us. No big problem...., we'll see! Subject: QUALITY OF LIFE GUIDANCE ON YEAR 2000 (Y2K) >Date sent: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 15:12:33 -0500 ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 101715Z FEB 99 ZYB MIN FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD:PA/DDI/DPL// SA WASHINGTON DC//SAPA-SC// HQ DA WASHINGTON DC//SAPA-ZA/SAIS-ZA// OSAF WASHINGTON DC//PA// HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC//SC// CMC WASHINGTON DC//PA/C4I// COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-BPA// HQ ANGRC ANDREWS AFB MD//PA// NGB WASHINGTON DC//PA// ***THIS IS A 4 PART MSG COLLATED BY MDS*** UNCLAS//N05720// ALNAV 006/99 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV// SUBJ/GUIDANCE ON YEAR 2000 (Y2K) RELATED ISSUES// RMKS/1. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE OUR SAILORS WITH SOUND, USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF Y2K ON THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES, AS WELL AS THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES. 2. THE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) "MILLENNIUM BUG" IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR SUBJECT FOR THE "TALKING HEADS" OF THE WORLD AS MASS MEDIA FOCUS ON POSSIBLE Y2K DISRUPTIONS AND EXTREMISTS PREDICT CATASTROPHIC SOCIAL BREAKDOWN. ADDITIONALLY, AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ENTREPRENEURS AND "SCAM ARTISTS" VIEW Y2K AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY FOR PERSONAL PROFIT. 3. THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MESSAGES PREPARED BY THE NAVY OFFICE OF INFORMATION (CHINFO) ADDRESSING HOW SAILORS CAN EXPECT Y2K TO AFFECT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BOTH THE DOMESTIC AND THE MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE. COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE SHOULD ENSURE WIDEST POSSIBLE DISSEMINATION OF THIS INFORMATION VIA PLAN OF THE DAY (POD), COMMAND NEWSPAPER, FAMILYGRAM, SITE TV, DAILY QUARTERS, CAPTAIN'S CALL AND OTHER APPROPRIATE VENUES. 4. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DRAWN FROM A VARIETY OF PRIVATE SECTOR AND OFFICIAL SOURCES INCLUDING COMMERCIAL NEWS MEDIA PRODUCTS. THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AUTHORITATIVE, AS NO ONE CAN PREDICT FUTURE EVENTS WITH COMPLETE CERTAINTY. THIS PARTICULAR MESSAGE ADDRESSES ONLY A FEW OF THE WIDE ARRAY OF Y2K TOPICS. FUTURE MESSAGES WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS OTHER AREAS IN MORE DETAIL. TOGETHER, THIS SERIES OF MESSAGES SHOULD PROVIDE A CURRENT, COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF Y2K INFORMATION. LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT Y2K RELATED ISSUES TO BE COMMUNICATED ON A REGULAR BASIS THROUGH NAVY INTERNAL MEDIA SUCH AS ALL HANDS MAGAZINE, NAVY- MARINE CORPS NEWS, DIRECT TO SAILOR AND NAVY NEWS SERVICE. Y2K INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING NAVY WEB SITES: WWW.NAVY.MIL WWW.CNOY2K.NAVY.MIL DONCIO.NAVY.MIL A. Y2K BUG--GENERAL/BACKGROUND: Q1. WHAT IS THE YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN? A1. THE YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE POTENTIALLY AFFECTS ANY DIGITAL COMPUTER SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT OR PRODUCT THAT USES DATE INFORMATION. IT ARISES FROM THE NEARLY UNIVERSAL PRACTICE IN ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS OF USING TWO RATHER THAN FOUR DIGITS TO DESIGNATE THE CALENDAR YEAR (E.G., DD/MM/YY). IT ALSO HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE COMMON PRACTICE OF USING TWO DIGITS TO SHORTHAND REFERENCES TO THE YEAR (JUST AS PEOPLE COMMONLY REFER TO "THE CLASS OF '99'" INSTEAD OF THE "CLASS OF 1999"). THIS COMMON PRACTICE CAN LEAD TO INCORRECT RESULTS WHENEVER COMPUTER SYSTEMS, SOFTWARE OR MICROCHIPS PERFORM ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS, COMPARISONS OR DATA FIELD SORTING INVOLVING YEARS LATER THAN 1999. NON-COMPLIANT SYSTEMS MAY INTERPRET 00 AS THE YEAR 1900, 01 AS THE YEAR 1901, ETC. B. DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (DFAS): Q2. WILL PAY AND ALLOWANCES BE DISRUPTED BY Y2K? A2. THE DFAS SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAS MADE THE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) PROBLEM DFAS' NUMBER ONE SYSTEMS PRIORITY. THE CORPORATE LEVEL INITIATIVE WAS BEGUN OVER 2 YEARS AGO, AND SYSTEM LEVEL INITIATIVES WERE BEGUN AS FAR BACK AS 1991. ALL DFAS SYSTEMS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLIANT BY MAR 31, 1999. C. PERSONAL FINANCES: Q3. I HEARD LOTS OF CONFLICTING ADVICE ON HOW I SHOULD HANDLE MY PERSONAL FINANCES IN ORDER TO BE WELL PREPARED FOR JAN 1, 2000. WHAT SHOULD I DO? A3. THE BEST ADVICE IS DON'T DO ANYTHING RASH WITH YOUR FINANCES. MOST BANKS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, SINCE THINGS LIKE LOAN CALCULATIONS AND THE LIKE HAVE REQUIRED YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCY FOR YEARS. SO KEEP YOUR MONEY IN THE BANK AND DON'T CASH IN YOUR INVESTMENTS. BEWARE OF THE SCAM ARTISTS WHO PREY ON YOUR FEARS. THEIR INTEREST IS IN GETTING YOUR MONEY, NOT YOUR WELL-BEING. MANY Y2K SALES PITCHES ARE DESIGNED TO SCARE YOU INTO DOING SOMETHING RASH. IF AN OFFER SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. AS WITH ANY SOUND FINANCIAL PLAN, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOOD PAPER RECORDS OF YOUR ACCOUNTS AND BANK STATEMENTS. HAVING THESE STATEMENTS ALLOWS YOU TO QUICKLY RESOLVE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE ERRORS THAT MIGHT OCCUR AT ANY TIME, NOT JUST IN THE EVENT OF A Y2K-CAUSED ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR. IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS CONCERNING YOUR INVESTMENTS AND ACCOUNTS, CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS DIRECTLY AND ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR Y2K COMPLIANCY. D. TELEPHONE SYSTEMS: Q4. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY TELEPHONE SERVICE? A4. THERE ARE VARYING ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION. ACCORDING TO AMERITECH SPOKESMAN FRANK MITCHELL, "BASICALLY, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. YOUR CALLER ID AND NETWORK WILL WORK. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY UPDATING THE 911 SERVICES WE ARE INVOLVED WITH SO THERE WILL BE NO DISRUPTIONS." MOST Y2K OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION OF SERVICE IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY. INCORRECT BILLING IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR. OBVIOUSLY UNFORESEEN EVENTS, INCLUDING ISSUES NOT RELATED TO POSSIBLE Y2K PROBLEMS (IE. ICE STORMS) MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PHONE COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN ALL SERVICE. NAVY SWITCHES ON BASES AND INSTALLATIONS HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND ONLY 21 OF 165 SWITCHES STILL REQUIRE MODIFICATIONS TO MEET BILLING AND MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS RELATED TO YEAR 2000 REQUIREMENTS. WORK IS UNDERWAY TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED FIXES AND ALL WORK WILL BE COMPLETED BY 30 JUNE 1999. Q5: WILL I BE ABLE TO PLACE LOCAL AND LONG-DISTANCE CALLS IN THE NORMAL WAY AFTER JAN 1, 2000? A5: YES, ACCORDING TO U.S. WEST'S YEAR 2000 INITIATIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GLENWOOD POST JAN 4, 1999. U.S. WEST IS A TELEPHONE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES LONG-DISTANCE SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS IN 14 WESTERN STATES. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILLIAM WHITE EXPLAINED THAT MOST TELEPHONE SWITCHES, WHICH RELAY LONG- DISTANCE CALLS TO THEIR PROPER DESTINATION, ARE NOT DATE- DEPENDENT. "MOST SWITCHES DON'T CARE WHAT DAY IT IS," WHITE EXPLAINED, WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLETING CALLS. "IF YOU CAN'T PROGRAM A DATE INTO IT, IT'S LIKELY TO BE VERY DATE INSENSITIVE." WHITE SAID REGIONAL TELEPHONE COMPANIES HAVE COLLABORATED TO ENSURE THE SWITCHED NETWORK WORKS SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE DATE CHANGE. E. ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS: Q6. WILL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS BE Y2K READY IN TIME? A6. BASED ON RECENT ANALYSIS, ON AVERAGE, THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY IS CLOSE TO ITS Y2K READINESS TARGETS. ACCORDING TO A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BY THE NORTH AMERICAN ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY COUNCIL, "NEARLY ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS NECESSARY TO OPERATE INTO THE YEAR 2000 WILL HAVE BEEN TESTED, REMEDIATED, AND DECLARED Y2K READY BY JUNE 30, 1999." Q7. SOME REPORTS PREDICT THAT THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ANTICIPATED AT THE YEAR 2000 MARK. IS THIS TRUE? A7. WHILE WE CAN'T BE CERTAIN THERE WON'T BE SOME MINOR POWER DISRUPTIONS, INDUSTRY EXPERTS DO NOT PREDICT WIDESPREAD OUTAGES. SPECULATION THAT POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS WILL EXPERIENCE WIDESPREAD FAILURES ARE NOT BASED ON FACTS OR RATIONAL ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION FROM THE INDUSTRY. CONTINUITY OF SERVICE IS A HISTORICAL HALLMARK OF THE NATION'S UTILITY INDUSTRY. ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY EFFORTS ARE ON-TARGET TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME QUALITY OF SERVICE THROUGH THE MILLENNIUM. F. WATER UTILITIES: Q8. WILL THE WATER UTILITY COMPANIES BE Y2K COMPLIANT BY 2000? A8. INDUSTRY EXPERTS OFFER A RANGE OF ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION. SOME EXPERTS PREDICT THAT SOME WATER SUPPLIERS MAY BE TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO MEET CUSTOMER DEMAND. HOWEVER, WATER UTILITIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE COMPREHENSIVE Y2K- COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS UNDER WAY AND ARE SPENDING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO PREPARE THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO BECOME Y2K-COMPLIANT OR Y2K-READY. MOST EXPERTS BELIEVE WATER TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION SHOULD NOT BE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE Y2K PROBLEM. G. POSTAL SERVICE: Q9. WILL THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE (USPS) BE COMPLIANT BEFORE JAN 1, 2000? A9. ALTHOUGH USPS HAS NOT RELEASED A GREAT DEAL OF SPECIFIC INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR Y2K EFFORTS, THE POSTAL SERVICE'S WEB SITE STATES THAT USPS INTENDS TO HAVE SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT USED TO PROCESS MAIL READY BY YEAR 2000. H. STOCKS AND SECURITIES: Q10. WILL THE STOCK MARKET STILL OPERATE NORMALLY, OR WILL IT CRASH WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT ON DEC 31, 1999? A10. FINAL RESULTS OF THE SECURITIES INDUSTRY'S DRY RUN OF ITS YEAR 2000 INDUSTRY-WIDE TESTS VERIFIED THAT FIRMS WERE ABLE TO INPUT TRADES IN A SIMULATED YEAR 2000-ENVIRONMENT, AND SEND THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE MARKET FOR EXECUTION, CONFIRMATION AND CLEARANCE. THE MARKETS WERE LIKEWISE ABLE TO PROCESS THE TRADES ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE. "THE TEST FULFILLED ITS PURPOSE," SAID DON KITTELL, SECURITIES INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (SIA) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT IN AN ARTICLE POSTED ON SIA'S WEBSITE. "WE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT HOW TO CONDUCT THE INDUSTRY-WIDE TEST." KITTELL EMPHASIZED THE SCRIPTS ARE BEING REFINED AND SOME OF THE TESTING PROCESSES MODIFIED BASED ON INPUT FROM THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE BETA TEST. "WE'LL BE MUCH BETTER PREPARED FOR THE TESTING THIS YEAR IN MARCH AS A RESULT OF THE TREMENDOUS EFFORT THAT WAS PUT IN THIS DRESS REHEARSAL," HE SAID. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CHECK THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS WEBSITE AT WWW.NASD.COM I. CIVIL AVIATION/FAA: Q11. WILL THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS OPERATE PROPERLY IN THE YEAR 2000 OR WILL AIR TRAVEL BE DISRUPTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY'S SKIES? A11. MANY OF THE FAA'S SYSTEMS ARE CLASSIFIED AS MISSION CRITICAL. SEVERAL OF THOSE MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS ARE IMPACTED BY YEAR 2000 AND REQUIRE REPAIRS TO BECOME YEAR 2000 COMPLIANT. FORTUNATELY, THOSE REPAIRS ARE WELL UNDERWAY AND MANY SYSTEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RENOVATED AND CERTIFIED COMPLIANT. A SCHEDULE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT REQUIRES ALL FAA SYSTEMS TO BE YEAR 2000 COMPLIANT BY JUN 30, 1999. J. HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES: Q12. WILL ALL MY HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES STILL OPERATE NORMALLY AFTER THE YEAR 2000 STARTS? A12. THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (CEMA) FILED COMMENTS WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) STATING THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS WILL NOT EXPERIENCE YEAR 2000 (Y2K) PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEIR COMPONENTS ARE NOT DATE SENSITIVE. CEMA'S COMMENTS WERE THE RESULT OF A RECENT MEMBER SURVEY CONDUCTED IN RESPONSE TO THE FTC'S MAY 6, 1998 REQUEST FOR COMMENT. MEMBER COMPANY INPUT INDICATES THAT ONLY A FEW PRODUCTS MAY BE AFFECTED(OLDER VCR MACHINES AND COFFEE POTS WITH DIGITAL CLOCK TIMERS FOR EXAMPLE). FIXES WILL LIKELY BE AVAILABLE FOR AFFECTED PRODUCTS. IF IN DOUBT, CONTACT THE PRODUCT'S MANUFACTURER FOR DETAILS. K. FOOD SUPPLY: Q13. WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT POTENTIAL FOOD SUPPLY PROBLEMS? A13. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS UNDERTAKING A MASSIVE OUTREACH PROGRAM AIMED AT MAKING PRIVATE-SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS AWARE OF Y2K PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. ACCORDING TO U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, DAN GLICKMAN, "THE USDA FOOD SUPPLY WORKING GROUP IS COMMITTED TO ASSURING THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED IN FOOD SUPPLY PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION IS AWARE OF POTENTIAL Y2K PROBLEMS, UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTING NOW TO CHECK THEIR SYSTEMS, AND KNOWS WHERE THEY CAN GO FOR HELP. OUR GOAL: TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY DISRUPTION IN THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN COME JANUARY 1, 2000." THE USDA FSWG WEB SITE CAN BE LOCATED AT WWW2.HQNET.USDA.GOV/APHIS/FSWG. L. AUTOMOBILES: Q14. WILL MY CAR START ON JAN 1, 2000? A14. ALMOST CERTAINLY. CARS AND TRUCKS SHOULD BE UNAFFECTED BY THE Y2K BUG, ACCORDING TO SPOKESPERSON MITCH FUGUA OF THE AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. THAT IS BECAUSE VEHICLE COMPUTERS RECOGNIZE TIME ONLY IN THE PASSING OF MILLI-SECONDS, NOT MONTHS AND YEARS. IF YOU THINK YOUR CAR MIGHT BE "DATE AWARE" OR TO ENSURE YOUR PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL ARE UNAFFECTED, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE OR DEALER. M. SOCIAL SECURITY: Q15. WHAT ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM? WILL IT STILL OPERATE AFTER DEC 31, 1999? A15. YES. SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS WILL BE ON TIME WHEN THE NEW MILLENNIUM ARRIVES. "A YEAR IN ADVANCE, PEOPLE CAN BE SURE THEIR CHECKS ARE GOING TO BE THERE ON TIME," ACCORDING TO COMMISSIONER KENNETH APFEL, ON NBC'S "TODAY" SHOW. "WE HAD ABOUT 30-PLUS MILLION LINES (OF COMPUTER CODE) THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STAFF HAVE BEEN SPENDING TIME ON IT, BUT IT'S NOW RESOLVED. APFEL SAID HIS AGENCY TACKLED THE PROBLEM THROUGH "PLAIN OLD-FASHIONED HARD WORK" AND BY FOOLING THE SYSTEMS WITH TESTS THAT SIMULATED THAT THE YEAR 2000 HAD ALREADY ARRIVED. THE IMMEDIATE BENEFICIARIES WILL BE THE ESTIMATED 46 MILLION AMERICANS WHO RELY ON SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS EACH MONTH. "WE HAD TO BRING IN AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR WORKING WITH THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND DO AN OUTSIDE EVALUATION AND MAKE SURE THOSE CHECKS WERE GOING TO WORK AND I CAN TELL YOU WE PASSED THAT TEST WITH FLYING COLORS," APFEL SAID. N. Y2K PERSONAL COMPUTER ISSUES: Q16. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF MY HOME PC IS READY FOR THE CHANGE FROM 1999 TO 2000? A16. THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO FIND OUT IF YOUR COMPUTER IS COMPLIANT. GO TO THE MANUFACTURER'S WORLDWIDE WEB SITE. ON THESE SITES, YOU WILL MOST LIKELY FIND A YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE SECTION OR CHART. THE WEB SITE WILL LIKELY TELL YOU YOUR SYSTEM IS Y2K COMPLIANT OR YOU WILL BE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO TO MAKE YOUR SYSTEM COMPLIANT. IF YOU HAVE AN OLDER SYSTEM, OR THE MANUFACTURER IS OUT OF BUSINESS, THE SOLUTION MAY BE A HARDWARE UPGRADE. IF A WEB SITE IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER DIRECTLY. YOU CAN ALSO LINK TO NUMEROUS Y2K SITES TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON TOOLS AND REMEDIATION PROCEDURES. BE AWARE THAT MANY MANUFACTURERS AND Y2K SITES ARE ALSO OFFERING FREEWARE TO HELP RESOLVE Y2K DIFFICULTIES, SO CHECK OUT ALL YOUR OPTIONS BEFORE YOU ARE TEMPTED TO PURCHASE Y2K REMEDIATION TOOLS. Q17. HOW SERIOUS ARE THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR PC OWNERS? A17. COMPARED TO THE MAINFRAME COMPUTERS USED BY LARGE BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, PC OWNERS HAVE LITTLE TO WORRY ABOUT BEYOND A SMALL POTENTIAL FOR MINOR INCONVENIENCES. COMPUTERS WITH INTEL PENTIUM CPU'S OR OTHER PROCESSORS BUILT AFTER ABOUT 1997 SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY Y2K HARDWARE PROBLEMS AT ALL. OWNERS OF MOST OLDER PC'S CAN CONDUCT A SIMPLE TEST TO MAKE SURE THE MACHINE'S BIOS (BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE MOST BASIC MACHINE FUNCTIONS) WILL PROPERLY KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME AFTER THE CENTURY CHANGES. HERE'S HOW TO TEST YOUR PC: FIRST, TEMPORARILY DISABLE ANY PROGRAMS THAT NORMALLY START AS SOON AS YOUR COMPUTER IS TURNED ON, ESPECIALLY IF THE PROGRAMS ARE DATE OR TIME RELATED SUCH AS CALENDAR PROGRAMS, VIRUS CHECKERS, ETC. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE TEMPORARILY DISABLED BEFORE YOU FORWARD ANY CLOCKS ON YOUR PC. YOU SHOULD ALSO MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF THESE PROGRAMS ON FLOPPY DISK BECAUSE THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THEY MAY BECOME PERMANENTLY DISABLED IF THEY PERCEIVE THAT THEIR LICENSE IS EXPIRED BECAUSE OF ROLLING THE CLOCK FORWARD. ONE WAY FOR WINDOWS USERS TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS IS TO TEMPORARILY MOVE THE SHORTCUTS IN THE STARTUP FOLDER TO ANOTHER FOLDER. THE STARTUP FOLDER CAN BE FOUND IN WINDOWS, START MENU, PROGRAMS, AND STARTUP. DON'T FORGET TO MOVE THE SHORTCUTS BACK AFTER THE TEST. DETERMINE WHETHER THE PC CONTAINS ANY SOFTWARE THAT WILL EXPIRE AS OF A PARTICULAR DATE. THIS MAY INCLUDE SOFTWARE YOU HAVE DOWNLOADED FROM THE INTERNET ON A TRIAL BASIS OR SOFTWARE THAT REQUIRES YOU TO RENEW AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (I.E., "OIL CHANGE" AND SEVERAL ANTI-VIRUS PACKAGES). IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, CONTACT THE SOFTWARE VENDOR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TESTING FOR Y2K. THEN, START THE COMPUTER'S CMOS SETUP ROUTINE. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE HOW TO DO THIS, CHECK THE SETUP SECTION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH YOUR COMPUTER. RESET THE SYSTEM CLOCK TO 23:30 DEC 31, 1999 AND WAIT. THE SYSTEM TIME WILL PROBABLY ROLL OVER TO JAN 1, 2000 WITHOUT PROBLEMS. NOW SHUT DOWN THE MACHINE, WAIT 20 SECONDS OR SO, AND RESTART IT. MOST MACHINES WILL COME UP BELIEVING THE DATE IS JAN 1, 2000. COMPUTERS WITH PROBLEMS WILL BELIEVE THE YEAR IS 1900 OR 1980 OR SOME OTHER INCORRECT YEAR, DEPENDING UPON THE SYSTEM. A FEW COMPUTERS CAN MAKE THE YEAR CHANGE BUT THEN HAVE PROBLEMS KEEPING TRACK OF THE DAY AND MONTH IN YEARS 2000 AND BEYOND SO IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO LET THE MACHINE RUN FOR 24 HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TEST TO MAKE SURE THE CALENDAR UPDATES CORRECTLY. O. BANKING/CREDIT UNIONS: Q18. WHAT ARE BANKS DOING TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS ON Y2K? A18. BANKS HAVE BECOME COMMUNITY LEADERS ON Y2K BY HELPING THEIR CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUE AND MAKE PREPARATIONS. THEY ARE HOLDING SMALL BUSINESS SEMINARS AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ENCOURAGE READINESS. Q19. HOW ARE BANKS PREPARING FOR Y2K? A19. INDEPENDENT SOURCES, INCLUDING CONSULTANTS AND COLUMNISTS, HAVE SINGLED OUT THE BANKING INDUSTRY AS ONE OF THE BEST PREPARED TO KEEP THEIR BUSINESS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. BANKS ARE PREPARING IN A SIMILAR FASHION AS THEY WOULD FOR A FIRE, HURRICANE, FLOOD OR OTHER POTENTIAL CRISIS. THEY HAVE BACKUP PLANS SO THAT IT WILL BE BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR ALL OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. Q20. HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT MY BANK/CREDIT UNION IS DOING TO PREPARE FOR Y2K? A20. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR BANK OR CREDIT UNION, STOP BY FOR A VISIT OR CALL THEM TO HEAR ABOUT THE THINGS THEY ARE DOING TO KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE. NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARD ACHIEVING A SEAMLESS TRANSITION TO THE YEAR 2000 SINCE 1991. NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION HAS POSTED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THEIR WEBSITE: "NAVY FEDERAL WANTS TO REASSURE OUR MEMBERS THAT WE ARE TAKING A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO THE YEAR 2000. IN FACT, WE HAVE BEEN AN INDUSTRY LEADER -- WORKING WITH AND ADVISING CREDIT UNION TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR REGULATOR TO ASSIST OTHER CREDIT UNIONS WITH YEAR 2000 ISSUES." THE NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WEBSITE IS LOCATED AT WWW.NAVYFCU.ORG MANY BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS ARE INCLUDING Y2K UPDATES IN THEIR MONTHLY STATEMENTS. LOOK FOR THEM. P. HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT Q21. HOW CAN I ENSURE MY HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WILL BE Y2K READY? A21. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU COULD DO. 1) TALK TO THE COMPANY YOU LEASED THE EQUIPMENT FROM AND ASK ABOUT ITS Y2K STATUS; 2) ACCESS THE FDA WEB SITE AT WWW.FDA.GOV/CDRH AND CLICK ON THE YEAR 2000 ICON. SEVERAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ARE LISTED WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS. LOOK UP THE Y2K STATUS OF YOUR EQUIPMENT, OR CONTACT THE COMPANY DIRECTLY; AND, 3) CHECK FOR A 1-800 NUMBER LISTED ON THE EQUIPMENT AND CALL FOR INFORMATION. Q. MILITARY HEALTH CARE: Q22. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF DOD HEALTH AFFAIRS COMPLIANCE WITH Y2K? A22. DOD BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT IS CURRENTLY 96 PERCENT Y2K COMPLIANT. THE REMAINING 4 PERCENT WILL BE COMPLIANT BY MAR 31, 1999. "BIOMEDICAL" MEANS INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT TYPICALLY FOUND IN A CLINIC, HOSPITAL, DOCTOR'S OR DENTIST'S OFFICE. AS AN EXAMPLE, SOME ELECTROCARDIOGRAM MACHINES HAVE A DATE FUNCTION WHICH COULD BE AFFECTED BY Y2K. HOWEVER, THE EKG EQUIPMENT RECORDS ANALOG SIGNALS WHICH ARE NOT DATE DEPENDENT, THE EQUIPMENT DEALS WITH DATES ONLY TO TAG THE DATA. DOD HEALTH AFFAIRS HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON VERIFYING BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE ALONG WITH A MULTI-AGENCY FEDERAL WORKING GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, VETERANS AFFAIRS, INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. THE GROUP HAS COLLABORATED WITH EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS TO DEVELOP A DATABASE OF COMPLIANCE INFORMATION FOR BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THE MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM. Q23. WILL Y2K AFFECT MY FAMILY'S DEERS ENROLLMENT? A23. BUMED IS TRACKING THE DEFENSE ELIGIBILITY ENROLLMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (DEERS) WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CONFIRMS MEDICAL BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY. DEERS IS ON TRACK FOR Y2K COMPLIANCE BY MAR 31, 1999. Q24. WHEN DOES DOD EXPECT TRICARE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE? A24. ACCORDING TO MS. CLARISA REBERKENNY OF OSD HEALTH AFFAIRS, ALL MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARE UNDERGOING END TO END TESTING FOR Y2K COMPLIANCE. DOD OFFICIALS ARE MEETING WITH TRICARE CONTRACTORS ON A RECURRING BASIS TO MONITOR PROGRESS. THE DOD DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE IS MAR 31, 1999. 5. AMERICAN FAMILIES STATIONED OVERSEAS MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES NOT AS FULLY PREPARED TO DEAL WITH YEAR 2000 (Y2K) CONCERNS AS BACK HOME. THE GOOD NEWS IS INFRASTRUCTURES OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA MAY BE LESS DEPENDENT ON CENTRALIZED COMPUTERIZED SERVICES, SO THE CONSEQUENCES OF A SINGLE COMPUTER FAILURE MAY BE LESS INTRUSIVE IN DAILY LIVING. THE BAD NEWS IS IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO FIND ANYONE WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL CAPABILITIES, OR THE STATUS OF EFFORTS TO COPE WITH Y2K ISSUES. THERE IS, FORTUNATELY, A GROWING AWARENESS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND GERMANY, WHERE MANY AMERICAN MILITARY ARE STATIONED HAVE EXTENSIVE Y2K PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EUROPEAN UNION RECOGNIZES THE POSSIBILITY OF A SERIOUS DISRUPTION, AND HAS A VERY GOOD Y2K WEBSITE AT . IN EUROPE, NAVEUR BASE CO'S ARE VERY AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF Y2K ON DON FAMILIES AND ARE ACTIVELY QUERYING LOCAL COMPANIES WHICH PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER, GAS, WATER/SEWAGE, TELEPHONE SERVICE AND BANKING SERVICES TO BASES AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES LIVE. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL BASE/STATION Y2K OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. 6. COMMANDS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL POINTS REGARDING Y2K TO ALL HANDS: -- BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE PREPARATION THE EFFECTS OF THE Y2K BUG WILL BE MINIMAL ON THE LIVES OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. -- KEEP YOUR MONEY IN THE BANK. DON'T CASH IN YOUR STOCKS. -- YOUR MILITARY PAY RECORDS AND PERSONNEL RECORDS WILL BE SAFE. -- DON'T OVER PREPARE. THINK ABOUT Y2K AS A POTENTIAL WINTER STORM AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY. -- SINCE COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT SOME POSSIBLE DEGRADATION OF NETWORK-DEPENDENT SYSTEMS FOR A SHORT PERIOD, BUT THE EFFECTS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE AN INCONVENIENCE, NOT A CATASTROPHE. -- IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU THE SKY IS FALLING IN REGARDS TO Y2K-- BEWARE, THEY ARE PROBABLY TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING. 7. THIS ALNAV IS CANCELLED FOR RECORD PURPOSES ON JAN 1, 2001. 8. RELEASED BY THE HONORABLE RICHARD DANZIG, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.// BT . >>-------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
-- anylonger (couldnt@standit.com), March 17, 1999.
Must have been typed by a drill sargeant.
-- Chris (Catsy@pond.com), March 17, 1999.
Well, at least the military get equal treatment.
-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), March 17, 1999.
This is an e-mail we (navy employees) received to tell us that the y2k bug will not effect us. no big problem...., we'll see!subject: quality of life guidance on year 2000 (y2k)
date sent: fri, 12 feb 1999 15:12:33 -0500
administrative message routine r 101715z feb 99
zyb min fm secnav washington dc to alnav info secdef washington dc//oasd:pa/ddi/dpl// sa washington dc//sapa-sc// hq da washington dc//sapa-za/sais-za// osaf washington dc//pa// hq usaf washington dc//sc// cmc washington dc//pa/c4i// comdt cogard washington dc//g-bpa// hq angrc andrews afb md//pa// ngb washington dc//pa// ***this is a 4 part msg collated by mds*** unclas//n05720// alnav 006/99 msgid/ genadmin/secnav// subj/guidance on year 2000 (y2k) related issues// rmks/1. it is important that we provide our sailors with sound, useful information on the potential impact of y2k on their personal and professional lives, as well as the lives of their families.
2. the year 2000 (y2k) "millennium bug" is becoming an increasingly popular subject for the "talking heads" of the world as mass media focus on possible y2k disruptions and extremists predict catastrophic social breakdown. additionally, an increasing number of entrepreneurs and "scam artists" view y2k as an opportunity to capitalize on fear and uncertainty for personal profit.
3. this is the first in a series of messages prepared by the navy office of information (chinfo) addressing how sailors can expect y2k to affect various aspects of both the domestic and the military infrastructure. commanding officers and officers in charge should ensure widest possible dissemination of this information via plan of the day (pod), command newspaper, familygram, site tv, daily quarters, captain's call and other appropriate venues.
4. the following information is drawn from a variety of private sector and official sources including commercial news media products. this information is considered to be reliable, but not necessarily authoritative, as no one can predict future events with complete certainty. this particular message addresses only a few of the wide array of y2k topics. future messages will continue to address other areas in more detail. together, this series of messages should provide a current, comprehensive database of y2k information. look for additional information about y2k related issues to be communicated on a regular basis through navy internal media such as all hands magazine, navy- marine corps news, direct to sailor and navy news service. y2k information is also available through the following navy web sites:
www.navy.mil
www.cnoy2k.navy.mil
doncio.navy.milA. Y2K Bug--general/background:
B. Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS):q1. what is the year 2000 challenge and how did it happen?
a1. the year 2000 challenge potentially affects any digital computer system, equipment or product that uses date information. it arises from the nearly universal practice in academia, government and business of using two rather than four digits to designate the calendar year (e.g., dd/mm/yy). it also has its roots in the common practice of using two digits to shorthand references to the year (just as people commonly refer to "the class of '99'" instead of the "class of 1999"). this common practice can lead to incorrect results whenever computer systems, software or microchips perform arithmetic operations, comparisons or data field sorting involving years later than 1999. non- compliant systems may interpret 00 as the year 1900, 01 as the year 1901, etc.
C. Personal Finances:q2. will pay and allowances be disrupted by y2k?
a2. the dfas senior management has made the year 2000 (y2k) problem dfas' number one systems priority. the corporate level initiative was begun over 2 years ago, and system level initiatives were begun as far back as 1991. all dfas systems are scheduled to be compliant by mar 31, 1999.
D. Telephone Systems:q3. i heard lots of conflicting advice on how i should handle my personal finances in order to be well prepared for jan 1, 2000. what should i do?
a3. the best advice is don't do anything rash with your finances. most banks are in good shape, since things like loan calculations and the like have required year 2000 compliancy for years. so keep your money in the bank and don't cash in your investments. beware of the scam artists who prey on your fears. their interest is in getting your money, not your well-being. many y2k sales pitches are designed to scare you into doing something rash. if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. as with any sound financial plan, you should have good paper records of your accounts and bank statements. having these statements allows you to quickly resolve any administrative errors that might occur at any time, not just in the event of a y2k-caused administrative error. if you have specific questions concerning your investments and accounts, contact your financial institutions directly and ask them about their y2k compliancy.
E. Electric Power Supply Systems:q4. what will happen to my telephone service?
a4. there are varying answers to this question. according to ameritech spokesman frank mitchell, "basically, nothing will change. your caller id and network will work. and we're currently updating the 911 services we are involved with so there will be no disruptions." most y2k observers believe that widespread disruption of service is extremely unlikely. incorrect billing is much more likely to occur. obviously unforeseen events, including issues not related to possible y2k problems (ie. ice storms) may make it impossible for the phone companies to maintain all service. navy switches on bases and installations have been inspected and only 21 of 165 switches still require modifications to meet billing and maintenance functions related to year 2000 requirements. work is underway to implement the required fixes and all work will be completed by 30 june 1999.
q5: will i be able to place local and long-distance calls in the normal way after jan 1, 2000?
a5: yes, according to u.s. west's year 2000 initiative executive director in an interview with the glenwood post jan 4, 1999. u.s. west is a telephone company that provides long-distance service to customers in 14 western states. executive director william white explained that most telephone switches, which relay long- distance calls to their proper destination, are not date- dependent. "most switches don't care what day it is," white explained, when it comes to completing calls. "if you can't program a date into it, it's likely to be very date insensitive." white said regional telephone companies have collaborated to ensure the switched network works smoothly through the date change.
F. Water Ultilities:q6. will the electrical systems be y2k ready in time?
a6. based on recent analysis, on average, the electric industry is close to its y2k readiness targets. according to a report prepared for the department of energy by the north american electrical reliability council, "nearly all electrical systems necessary to operate into the year 2000 will have been tested, remediated, and declared y2k ready by june 30, 1999."
q7. some reports predict that there will be widespread power outages anticipated at the year 2000 mark. is this true?
a7. while we can't be certain there won't be some minor power disruptions, industry experts do not predict widespread outages. speculation that power distribution systems will experience widespread failures are not based on facts or rational analysis of information from the industry. continuity of service is a historical hallmark of the nation's utility industry. electrical industry efforts are on-target to maintain that same quality of service through the millennium.
G. Postal Serviceq8. will the water utility companies be y2k compliant by 2000?
a8. industry experts offer a range of answers to this question. some experts predict that some water suppliers may be temporarily unable to meet customer demand. however, water utilities and government agencies have comprehensive y2k- compliance programs under way and are spending large sums of money to prepare their computer systems to become y2k-compliant or y2k-ready. most experts believe water treatment and distribution should not be greatly affected by the y2k problem.
H. Stocks and Securites:q9. will the u.s. postal service (usps) be compliant before jan 1, 2000?
a9. although usps has not released a great deal of specific information regarding their y2k efforts, the postal service's web site states that usps intends to have systems and equipment used to process mail ready by year 2000.
I. Civil Aviation:q10. will the stock market still operate normally, or will it crash when the clock strikes midnight on dec 31, 1999?
a10. final results of the securities industry's dry run of its year 2000 industry-wide tests verified that firms were able to input trades in a simulated year 2000-environment, and send them to the appropriate market for execution, confirmation and clearance. the markets were likewise able to process the trades on a normal schedule. "the test fulfilled its purpose," said don kittell, securities industry association (sia) executive vice president in an article posted on sia's website. "we learned a great deal about how to conduct the industry-wide test." kittell emphasized the scripts are being refined and some of the testing processes modified based on input from the participants in the beta test. "we'll be much better prepared for the testing this year in march as a result of the tremendous effort that was put in this dress rehearsal," he said. for additional information, check the national association of securities dealers website at www.nasd.com
J. Household Appliances:q11. will the federal aviation administration's computer systems operate properly in the year 2000 or will air travel be disrupted across the country's skies?
a11. many of the faa's systems are classified as mission critical. several of those mission critical systems are impacted by year 2000 and require repairs to become year 2000 compliant. fortunately, those repairs are well underway and many systems have already been renovated and certified compliant. a schedule has been established that requires all faa systems to be year 2000 compliant by jun 30, 1999.
K. Food Supply:q12. will all my household appliances still operate normally after the year 2000 starts?
a12. the consumer electronics manufacturers association (cema) filed comments with the federal trade commission (ftc) stating that the vast majority of consumer electronics products will not experience year 2000 (y2k) problems because their components are not date sensitive. cema's comments were the result of a recent member survey conducted in response to the ftc's may 6, 1998 request for comment. member company input indicates that only a few products may be affected(older vcr machines and coffee pots with digital clock timers for example). fixes will likely be available for affected products. if in doubt, contact the product's manufacturer for details.
L. Automobiles:q13. what is the federal government doing about potential food supply problems?
a13. the federal government is undertaking a massive outreach program aimed at making private-sector organizations aware of y2k problems and solutions. according to u.s. secretary of agriculture, dan glickman, "the usda food supply working group is committed to assuring that everyone involved in food supply production and distribution is aware of potential y2k problems, understands the importance of acting now to check their systems, and knows where they can go for help. our goal: to do whatever we can to prevent any disruption in the food supply chain come january 1, 2000." the usda fswg web site can be located at www2.hqnet.usda.gov/aphis/fswg.
M. Social Security:q14. will my car start on jan 1, 2000?
a14. almost certainly. cars and trucks should be unaffected by the y2k bug, according to spokesperson mitch fugua of the american automobile association. that is because vehicle computers recognize time only in the passing of milli-seconds, not months and years. if you think your car might be "date aware" or to ensure your particular make and model are unaffected, contact your local authorized service representative or dealer.
N. y2k Personal Computer Issues:q15. what about the social security system? will it still operate after dec 31, 1999?
a15. yes. social security checks will be on time when the new millennium arrives. "a year in advance, people can be sure their checks are going to be there on time," according to commissioner kenneth apfel, on nbc's "today" show. "we had about 30-plus million lines (of computer code) that we've been working on to fix this issue and hundreds of people on the staff have been spending time on it, but it's now resolved. apfel said his agency tackled the problem through "plain old-fashioned hard work" and by fooling the systems with tests that simulated that the year 2000 had already arrived. the immediate beneficiaries will be the estimated 46 million americans who rely on social security checks each month. "we had to bring in an independent contractor working with the treasury department and the social security administration and do an outside evaluation and make sure those checks were going to work and i can tell you we passed that test with flying colors," apfel said.
O. Banking/Credit Unions:q16. how can i find out if my home pc is ready for the change from 1999 to 2000?
a16. the first step in the process is to find out if your computer is compliant. go to the manufacturer's worldwide web site. on these sites, you will most likely find a year 2000 compliance section or chart. the web site will likely tell you your system is y2k compliant or you will be given instructions on what to do to make your system compliant. if you have an older system, or the manufacturer is out of business, the solution may be a hardware upgrade. if a web site is not available, then you will need to contact the manufacturer directly. you can also link to numerous y2k sites to get more information on tools and remediation procedures. be aware that many manufacturers and y2k sites are also offering freeware to help resolve y2k difficulties, so check out all your options before you are tempted to purchase y2k remediation tools.
q17. how serious are the potential problems for pc owners?
a17. compared to the mainframe computers used by large businesses and government institutions, pc owners have little to worry about beyond a small potential for minor inconveniences. computers with intel pentium cpu's or other processors built after about 1997 shouldn't have any y2k hardware problems at all. owners of most older pc's can conduct a simple test to make sure the machine's bios (basic input/output system that controls the most basic machine functions) will properly keep track of the time after the century changes.
here's how to test your pc: first, temporarily disable any programs that normally start as soon as your computer is turned on, especially if the programs are date or time related such as calendar programs, virus checkers, etc. all of these programs should be temporarily disabled before you forward any clocks on your pc.
you should also make a backup copy of these programs on floppy disk because there is a chance that they may become permanently disabled if they perceive that their license is expired because of rolling the clock forward.
one way for windows users to remove some of those programs is to temporarily move the shortcuts in the startup folder to another folder. the startup folder can be found in windows, start menu, programs, and startup. don't forget to move the shortcuts back after the test.
determine whether the pc contains any software that will expire as of a particular date. this may include software you have downloaded from the internet on a trial basis or software that requires you to renew an annual subscription (i.e., "oil change" and several anti-virus packages). if you are not sure, contact the software vendor for more information on testing for y2k.
then, start the computer's cmos setup routine. if you're not sure how to do this, check the setup section of the instructions that came with your computer.
reset the system clock to 23:30 dec 31, 1999 and wait. the system time will probably roll over to jan 1, 2000 without problems.
now shut down the machine, wait 20 seconds or so, and restart it. most machines will come up believing the date is jan 1, 2000. computers with problems will believe the year is 1900 or 1980 or some other incorrect year, depending upon the system. a few computers can make the year change but then have problems keeping track of the day and month in years 2000 and beyond so it's a good idea to let the machine run for 24 hours or so after the test to make sure the calendar updates correctly.
P. Home Medical Equipment:q18. what are banks doing to inform their customers on y2k?
a18. banks have become community leaders on y2k by helping their customers, including businesses, learn about the issue and make preparations. they are holding small business seminars and working with community groups to encourage readiness.
q19. how are banks preparing for y2k?
a19. independent sources, including consultants and columnists, have singled out the banking industry as one of the best prepared to keep their business running smoothly. banks are preparing in a similar fashion as they would for a fire, hurricane, flood or other potential crisis. they have backup plans so that it will be business as usual for all of their customers.
q20. how can i find out what my bank/credit union is doing to prepare for y2k?
a20. if you are concerned about your bank or credit union, stop by for a visit or call them to hear about the things they are doing to keep your money safe and accessible. navy federal credit union has been working toward achieving a seamless transition to the year 2000 since 1991. navy federal credit union has posted the following statement on their website: "navy federal wants to reassure our members that we are taking a proactive approach to the year 2000. in fact, we have been an industry leader -- working with and advising credit union trade associations and our regulator to assist other credit unions with year 2000 issues." the navy federal credit union website is located at www.navyfcu.org many banks and credit unions are including y2k updates in their monthly statements. look for them.
Q. Military Health Care:q21. how can i ensure my home medical equipment will be y2k ready?
a21. there are a few things you could do.
1) talk to the company you leased the equipment from and ask about its y2k status;
2) access the fda web site at www.fda.gov/cdrh and click on the year 2000 icon. several medical equipment manufacturers are listed with information about their products. look up the y2k status of your equipment, or contact the company directly; and,
3) check for a 1-800 number listed on the equipment and call for information.
5. american families stationed overseas may find themselves in local communities not as fully prepared to deal with year 2000 (y2k) concerns as back home. the good news is infrastructures outside north america may be less dependent on centralized computerized services, so the consequences of a single computer failure may be less intrusive in daily living. the bad news is it may be difficult to find anyone who can answer questions about local capabilities, or the status of efforts to cope with y2k issues. there is, fortunately, a growing awareness of the potential problem. japan, the united kingdom, and germany, where many american military are stationed have extensive y2k programs. for example, the european union recognizes the possibility of a serious disruption, and has a very good y2k website at . in europe, naveur base co's are very aware of the possible impact of y2k on don families and are actively querying local companies which provide electrical power, gas, water/sewage, telephone service and banking services to bases and the local communities where our people and their families live. contact your local base/station y2k office for additional information.q22. what is the status of dod health affairs compliance with y2k?
a22. dod biomedical equipment is currently 96 percent y2k compliant. the remaining 4 percent will be compliant by mar 31, 1999. "biomedical" means instruments and equipment typically found in a clinic, hospital, doctor's or dentist's office. as an example, some electrocardiogram machines have a date function which could be affected by y2k. however, the ekg equipment records analog signals which are not date dependent, the equipment deals with dates only to tag the data. dod health affairs has taken the lead on verifying biomedical equipment compliance along with a multi-agency federal working group consisting of the army, navy, air force, veterans affairs, indian health service, and public health service. the group has collaborated with equipment manufacturers to develop a database of compliance information for biomedical equipment used in the military health system.
q23. will y2k affect my family's deers enrollment?
a23. bumed is tracking the defense eligibility enrollment reporting system (deers) which automatically confirms medical benefit eligibility. deers is on track for y2k compliance by mar 31, 1999.
q24. when does dod expect tricare to be in compliance?
a24. according to ms. clarisa reberkenny of osd health affairs, all mission critical systems and automated information systems are undergoing end to end testing for y2k compliance. dod officials are meeting with tricare contractors on a recurring basis to monitor progress. the dod deadline for compliance is mar 31, 1999.
6. commands should emphasize the following general points regarding y2k to all hands: -- because of extensive preparation the effects of the y2k bug will be minimal on the lives of you and your family. -- keep your money in the bank. don't cash in your stocks. -- your military pay records and personnel records will be safe. -- don't over prepare. think about y2k as a potential winter storm and prepare accordingly. -- since computer systems are interconnected across the country and around the world, it is reasonable to expect some possible degradation of network-dependent systems for a short period, but the effects can be expected to be an inconvenience, not a catastrophe. -- if someone tells you the sky is falling in regards to y2k-- beware, they are probably trying to sell you something.
7. this alnav is cancelled for record purposes on jan 1, 2001.
8. released by the honorable richard danzig, secretary of the navy.// bt .
-- scooter (scooter@planet.net), March 18, 1999.