HAS THIS FORUM CHANGED MINDS??

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has anyone here changed viewpoints based on what they read here??Thich Nhat Hahn once said that discussion is not possible unless both parties were open to changing positions,otherwise it's a debate.views here seem to be pretty entrenched,with a lot of flame wars back and forth...at least there's dieter as a voice of reason(SMILE)

-- ZOOBIE (zoob@AOL.COM), April 26, 1999

Answers

Mine has changed some. I've realized that I better become more prepared than I am because the info here indicates it could be much worse than I thought 6 months ago.

-- (rcarver@inacom.com), April 26, 1999.

I have also changed my mind. When I came here I was concerned about the effects of Y2K. After lurking for some months and doing research elsewhere, I am much, much less concerned now. I realised that the majority here are so full of hate towards the government, media, business and society that their perspective is off kilter. However you decide, best of luck to you.

-- Terrence Edward (au469@freenet.ca), April 26, 1999.

I was scared to death of y2k. but a few folks who braved the flame-storms made me look at this again. I don't think it will be as bad as some of the preparedness sites say. makes me wonder if they weren't in it for the money all along.

-- juz me (nobody@special.lurk), April 26, 1999.

agree with juz me. Too much vague "everything has to fail" without facts supporting it. if your still scared of y2k, check some other sites besides this one for facts. get both sides to the story before you do anything drastic.

-- (.`.`@.`.`), April 26, 1999.

I'm a lot more confused than I was. I really don't know what to think, believe, do, or tell other people. Praying more than usual.

-- one (day@a.time), April 26, 1999.


I have a calmer more settled mind. I do not think this will be a "bump in the road". I have to admit I did not come to this conclusion based only on the info from this forum but from many.

One of the reasons I think Y2k will be a bad situation is because of how this will affect me personaly. I have my own business and yes I am Y2k ready. But what I sell is a high dollar luxury item. If the world does not end on Jan 1. 2000 for everyone else it just might for my business. I am not selling out but you better believe I am getting lean and mean. I am also praying about a new line of work.... at best. I personaly believe that Y2k "computer" problem is the largest problem we face. If it was we could do without computers ( it would be hard but we could do it.) I think the biggest problem we face at this time is the fact that alot of our young people dont know how to work (check out any McDee's) We have way too many people on welfare, that also does not know how to work. We have too many familys that have "put away" thier elderly, just to have an less bothered lifestyle. Our cities are too crowded and neighbors are too isolated. We have taken God out of our lifestyle while becoming more "spirital and centered" Need I go on......

I am not by nature a negative person, as a matter of fact people say that I'm always smiling. I am a happy person, I dont have time to be glum. I have too much work to do to sit around and pout. We all have alot of work to do.

Bulldog

-- bulldog (sniffin@around.com), April 26, 1999.


I have changed my mind about a lot of things. I now have new uses for fruitcake, know I don't have to leave the lights on in the chicken house so long,doubt the media more, don't think we'll pull thru, not because of just y2k but this Yugo thing and nuclear accidents (hopefully this will pass in a day or two and I'll get back to normal, whatever that is).Very pessimistic today.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), April 26, 1999.

WHAt OH whAt did diETER HEaR THis moRNing?????? Huh????? WHy, it wAS NonE OTHeR THan FRanCIs alBERt!!!!!! sinGIng oNE Of dieTEr's fAVORiTEs WaS HE!!!!!!

"STranGErs IN thE NigHT...exCHangINg gLANCes...WONDering in thE NigHT...WHat WEre tHE chaNCES...WE'D Be shARinG lOVe...befORE thE NIght wAS THrouGh....ZooBie dooBIe DeE...DO do DE zooBIe...ZAdA Da de De...DE De Da zoobiE....ZadA DO de DO...DE do DA ZOObiE DoO....

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), April 26, 1999.


Persuasion or evangelism are not the intended purposes of this forum.

"This forum is intended for people who are concerned about the impact of the Y2000 problem on their personal lives, and who want to discuss various fallback contingency plans with other like-minded people. It's not intended to provide advice/guidance for solving Y2000 problems within an IT organization."

If people have changed their point of view, and are glad they did - that's a bonus. Discussion without desiring to convince is no less valid.

-- Grrr (grrr@grrr.net), April 26, 1999.


Zoobie,

I certainly have had no desire to change my opinion so far. On the other hand, I have used discussion points and articles from this forum to make GIs out of several former pollys...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 26, 1999.



Terrence Edward said it better than I can. I note with interest that Hyatt is now banning "naysayer drivel" from his forum.

But I'd tone it down a bit, Terrence. Let's just say that terrified people don't think clearly.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), April 26, 1999.


I have changed my mind about some things and events. I never did think that pre-2000 roll-ever dates would be a problem. So recent non- events have not influenced me very much. I think there are more computer problems going on within industries than we know. And at the same time, I think that right now they are able to successfully work around them to a degree.

I do not pretend to be a specialist in any computer field. I have had some programming experience, Cobol, RPG, etc. I currently do tech support for a network software company. The products we have are not essential programs, that would make or break most companies, although when they are not working properly and you hear the system admin screaming into the phone, you would think they could. However, I do hear what types of systems, and what software is being used on a lot of networks. The number of banks and insurance companies that still use old DOS programs and ancient systems is a little disconcerting. The same goes for some manufacturing companies. When you still see WFWG as a server, you are bound to wonder.

I no longer worry about the odds of anything happening. The risk factor is enough to make me prepare. I guess one of the smartest statements I read was on another forum. The gentleman pointed out that he thought the odds of his house burning down were pretty small, but the economic and personal devastation that would result was not worth the risk of doing without fire insurance. Even if you think the odds of Y2K being more than a bump in the road are 1 in a thousand, isn't the risk too high not to be prepared?

I have read many opinions on this forum, some sensible, some idiotic and some that sound down right certifiable, from both sides of the fence. I have learned from some, been disappointed in some, been lifted by some, and felt like I was knee deep in...well, you know. I hope everyone is at peace with the decisions they make about preparing. Each of us need only ask ourselves, is the risk worth it? Only the individual knows the answer to that.

-- (mybit@cyber.space), April 26, 1999.


Yes, I have changed my opinion. If this forum represents the reasoning abilities of the average person (and this really should be an above-average sample) then Y2K will be very bad. There's no doubt the bug exists and is widespread. Limiting the damage it will do depends on
  1. Our foresight in preparing -- from Y2K remediation to contingency planning to stockpiling.

  2. Our skill at improvisation after bugs appear

  3. Our ability to keep calm.

Based on the posts here, we will probably be 0 for 3. Sigh.

-- Ever More Cynical (nope (youcan't@haveit.com)), April 26, 1999.

When I discovered this forum I had already made up my mind to prepare for Y2K being a very serious problem. That hasn't changed. My thinking on the likelihood of it being a huge problem changes so often it can hardly be called "thinking". But the only decision that matters is what to do about it. That isn't going to change for me. Fully closed-minded in that respect. I wish this forum would move away from a debating society / news-sharing medium and more towards preparation orientation. I'm not saying debate is bad or that sharing news isn't useful, just that I look more for preparation tips.

-- Steve Hartzler (s.hartzler@usa.net), April 26, 1999.

Steve, some of us have tried limiting our posts to items or information specific to preparation. (Old Git is a prominent example). Several of us have tried not to get involved in the flame exchange. All to no avail.

It seems that if a post is put on this board regarding ANY subject, if it can be construed as having a 'negative' lean of any type, along comes Y2Kpro or others of his persuasion to club it to death with 'roses and daisies'. If anyone dares post something about quantities or specific items that might be needed, same thing. The polly's view is that they are 'saving us from ourselves'. (I knew a tv preacher like that--he went to jail for tax evasion).

This forum is just like a very large rummage sale. You have to sort thru an awful lot of stuff to find the gems---but they are there.

As I said in another thread, I sure am tired of people telling me how to spend my money and how I'm supposed to think.

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), April 27, 1999.



zoobie,

My mind has not changed that much; my thinking has merely been refined. One of the things that I've learned is that most people in the debate -- Doomsters and Pollyannas -- made their minds up a while back and aren't interested in changing them. This forum simply proves that on a daily basis.

-- Stephen M. Poole, CET (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), April 27, 1999.


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