More and more people are beginning to seriously look at Y2K everyday. Does this include you? Most likely, you already realize that there are no shortages of opinions regarding Y2K. They also vary widely. Different experts do not agree, not unlike anything else in life. Ever see a police report with multiple witnesses? Ten people see the same thing, yet there may end up being eleven different opinions (one changes their mind).

So how do you go about formulating opinions about Y2K for yourself? Look into it and keep at it until you come to some conclusions. Make up your own mind. If you are lucky enough to have common sense, then use it. The Internet will be your main source for information, both bad and good. Think about what you read and verify what you can. Dont blindly accept anyones opinion, including that family member who works with computers. Question everything. Think. If you do this, at least you will be able to know why you hold the opinions that you do, and subsequently why you are taking the actions that you think make sense.

The Y2K scene changes daily. Part of formulating your opinions is the acceptance that they arent cast in concrete. Stay tuned to Y2K events and modify your opinions and actions accordingly, as the scene changes and as more information becomes available. It is your responsibility to make up your own mind. Do it. Never stop questioning and thinking. Since you will have to live with your decision, the least you should do is chosse to make it your own decision. Its your life. Its your choice.

Choose well.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999

Answers

Gang: Please put in your own two cents for the newbies.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999.

This is a MUST READ essay:

Can you afford to be wrong on Y2K

Don't ask "what are the odds?" Ask "what are the STAKES?"

174 days remain. About 4200 hours. Get ready. Prepare. Something's going to happen....

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), July 10, 1999.

People will take advantage of you and the system anytime there is a crack. Everybody should use Y2K as a catalyst to start becoming more self-reliant, no matter what the outcome is. Almost everyone now relies on somebody else to provide *everything* in his or her lives, this is a great way to live, unless of course a problem with the current situation develops. Do you want to be standing around without a clue if it does? Read them history books, the world has always had major problems and theres a good chance it always will. Ever notice how people act when it does?

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), July 10, 1999.

Hello,

I used this as a chance to become more self-reliant, as we have more scary scanarios in the NorthWest like earthquakes or short power outages. (I only believe this thing will be a 2 or 3 on a scale of 10).

I'd suggest a newbie read Ed Yourdon's book. He's good about laying out several scanarios from nothing happens to massive failures.

I'd also STRONGLY suggest that you download your own Y2K test software and see if any of your own equipment fails. As I've said in other posts, my company has been engaged in massive Y2K tests of IBM mainframe emulation, gateway and other software and we have found very few actual bugs and no critical problems with the systems we have developed. Also, one of our mainframes has been running in the year 2000 for months with no issues.

I guess I'm getting a little off topic, I'm just suggesting that you look into this with means at your own disposal as I have, and then determine the real severity of this thing.

Getting prepared is really a 'no-brainer', though in that it is cheap do do (relative to most peoples income), and lots of other bad things can happen (look at history).

Bryce

-- Bryce (bryce@seanet.com), July 10, 1999.

Dennis: Thanks for the article/link. It brings up some important points to consider during the exact time when people new to Y2K will be asking themselves questions and trying to make an informed decision.

BiGG: Self-Relaince. Yes. That is a major goal of preparing for Y2K or any other uncertainty which can impact our lives. Thanks for putting in your two cents for the newbies.

All: So many times I think that those of us who have been aware of Y2K and already formulated opinions forget temporarily what is was like to be a newbie. Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, scared, etc.

More importantly, what we may think of as obvious may be anything but obvious to someone who is just looking into Y2K. It is posts like the above that can help these folks. So don't be shy when it comes to posting something that you think everybody knows. Everybody doesn't. You can help too.

More comments for the newbies are always welcome.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999.

Hello back Bryce. I guess that we posted about the same time since I just saw your response. Ed's book is a great start for newbies. I also work on Y2K (day and night lately) and it was Ed's reputation and previous technical books that made me aware that I needed to at least take his Y2K book, and the subject of Y2K, seriously.

I came to a different conclusion than you about the potential severity as I am around an 8 on the scale, and have been for over a year now. Both of us have looked at the subject and made decisions that are right for us. At least they are our decisions. Thanks to you also for posting to this thread and reinforcing the importance of self-relaince as a goal that we can all work towards, regardless of the impact of Y2K.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999.

Rob,

I think you've given some good advice in your opening post. It was well balanced without a slant towards either the polly or doomer positions. At one point you wrote: "So how do you go about formulating opinions about Y2K for yourself?" I think it would be extremely useful to newbies if you expanded on that and put together a list of things they should be cautious of when investigating Y2k. Some examples of items we would all agree on are:

Be wary of "self-reported" publications.

Be wary of "anecdotal" stories

Consider what "hidden" motivations may be behind the statements made by individuals, businesses or organizations

Review statements from "experts" on the (neutral?) Russ Kelly site

Remain "open-minded" to new information

Etc.

(Perhaps the best way to list these items would be to make two lists; the doomer cautions and the polly cautions. I'm sure you could solicit this forum and receive plenty of suggestions.)

Personally, I would have loved to have seen such a list when I first began investigating Y2k. It took wayyy too long to learn how to sort out the trash. Most people here already know what to look out for, but the newbies whom you are addressing this to do not.

Just my 2 cents

-- CD (not@here.com), July 10, 1999.

CD: A specific list, as you already started, would indeed be helpful. I hadnt thought of it before. (Duh). Since its your idea, why not just start a thread about it yourself? Folks around here are not shy. The last two threads I started had a grand total of two responses (1 each). Actually, if it is one thing the forum is particularly interested in at the moment it is sorting through the garbage.

I have covered the same turf but in a general way  encouraging folks to continually question things they read and hear, for example. A more detailed list of specifics as you suggest is a next logical step. This is a subject of some importance, IMO, and so deserves its own thread. Its either that or the forum can just continue with the list on this thread. Perhaps those that do read this thread will take matters into their own hands and continue the list anyway.

Thank you for an excellent suggestion. Let me know what you think about how best to follow up on it.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999.

Done. I took your suggestion and have started a new thread...

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0014Hl

I totally agree with what you said Rob..."This is a subject of some importance, IMO,". Now that we've floated the balloon, let's hope there aren't too many out there with bb guns aimed at it.

-- CD (not@here.com), July 10, 1999.

CD: Good. As far as the BB gun folks, I don't care. They are just as entitled to be wrong as I am :)

This is all really just about trying to help folks. That's it. If just one person reads and understands, and is better off and less confused, than we have made a difference - and it will have been worth the bandwidth.

Gotta run off again. Will check the new thread, and this one, late tonight. BFN, Rob.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 10, 1999.

My advice to people new to preparing for y2k would be: take it one day at a time, and do *something* each and every day. (Today I attended the y2k Community Conversation in Austin, TX. I'll report on it after it sinks in.) First things first. Shelter, water, heat, food. Be well- rounded in your preps, get a few day's worth of *everything*, then some more. Don't be so overwhelmed that you go into denial.

-- Mommacares (harringtondesignX@earthlink.net), July 10, 1999.