Typo in Chapter 13

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"Y2K is too abstract, theoretical, technical, and intellectually challenging to cover properly in a mainstream media presentation -- but one could make the same statement about most of the other serious crises facing mankind. If problems are simple, they can be reduced to a sound-bite; but if the problem is complex, it takes more than a few minutes to even describe the problem, let alone discuss possible solutions. I didn't appreciate this until I was interviewed by one of the major TV news channels following the publication of my Time Bomb 2000 book. An earnest reporter stuck a microphone in my face and said, "I'd appreciate it if you would tell us all about the Y2K problem. You've got 45 seconds. Whenever you're ready, you can start..." The media wants sound-bites, and the public wants sound-bites; Y2K doesn't lend itself to sound-bites. To compound the problem, Y2K involves computers, software, and some rather subtle concepts about interdependent systems. It can be explained in straightforward language that citizens of average intelligence can understand, but not in a 30-second video clip. It too us 600 pages to provide what we thought was an adequate explanation in Time Bomb 2000; that's more than you can reasonably expect a newspaper or magazine to devote to the subject. "

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In the last sentance of the paragraph, the word "too" is used in place of the word "took".

Paragraph on Y2K is too Abstract.

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999

Answers

Helium,

Thanks for spotting the typos!

-- Ed Yourdon (HumptyDumptyY2K@yourdon.com), September 13, 1999.


Ed:

I believe you ment "It took us 600 pages" rather than "It too us 600 pages"

Keep up the good work!

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999.


Question of tense in the following:

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PERSONAL, BOTTOM-UP REACTIONS TO A MODERATE Y2K CRISIS

If Y2K is a moderate or severe crisis, individuals will be looking for someone to blame, just like their government. Whether they blame the media is difficult to tell at this point; it seems far more likely that they'll blame the government, the banks, the airlines, the electric utilities, and any other organizations that have caused direct suffering or financial loss. Those who have been following Y2K closely for the past two or three years may feel vindicated for the increasing frustration they have felt towards the media; but since the majority of the population has had little or no interest in Y2K up to this point, it seems less likely that they'll turn on the media, in the aftermath of a moderate Y2K crisis, and say, "It's your fault that I didn't pay more attention to Y2K! You shouldn't have distracted me with all those salacious stories about Monica!"

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The question is "Whether they blame the media is difficult..." or do you mean to say "Whether they will blame the media is difficult..."

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999.


The last comment was on the second sentance in the above paragraph.

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999.

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