He may slip off a little, but there are plenty of engineers and software professionals to boost him back onto his wall.

So Ed, will you censor me like Diane Squire does on TB2000?

-- You Knowwho (debunk@doomeridiots.com), December 09, 1999

Answers

I agree. I can't imagine many higher priorities for the US than protecting the banking system, making sure people don't freeze or starve and preventing general disorder. I personally give the disaster scenario < 1% chance.

-- Gary S. (garys_2k@yahoo.com), December 09, 1999.

You are SUCH a loser.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), December 09, 1999.

Yeah, me too. I can't imagine any higher priority than plugging that little hole, keeping that ship from sinking. I mean, they had the designer aboard, lots of crew members. The Titanic was just TOO IMPORTANT to let it sink, why don't you doomers understand that?

-- bw (home@puget.sound), December 09, 1999.

Disaster...probably not. Recession or depression...probably. We should be partying like it is 1929...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 09, 1999.

Given the lack of concern for individual preparations, "making sure people don't freeze or starve" is clearly a very *low* priority in the U.S.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), December 10, 1999.

You Knowwho (debunk@doomeridiots.com) may very well be the most self- important poster on lusenet.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), December 11, 1999.

How long will the engineers and programmers stay before they quiety slip away to take care of their families? How selfless doe we expect them to be? Pam

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), December 11, 1999.

Hey guys, it's just a number's game. When the Feds realized in March that only 5% of the public had prepared which was already taxing the "preparedness" suppliers, they figured that only another 5%-10% more could prepare by Dec, they made the decision to create calmness and keep status quo. Why? Because keeping status quo keeps the programmers on the job longer whereby helping to fix the problem for MORE people. NOT calming everyone down with their media campaign, would result in chaotic conditions for suppliers (I know, I worked with a supplier and it was crazy). Allowing the public to continue to prepare and sound the alarm as what was happening through March would have caused so much turmoil and calls into local, state and national officials who hadn't even gotten their y2k act together yet, that I seriously doubt all levels of gov't would have been able to prepare as much as they did so far. I know myself, when I was faced constantly with concerned customers and me not being able to get inventory quickly, created much anxt for me. At one point, I was so worried about some customers, I was afraid I would have to stop working. I know of one customer who had a heart attack because he was so scared about providing for his family, etc. So, if you look at the TOTAL picture (not counting all the no-good deeds the gov't is up to, but giving them the benefit of the doubt), if you look at the total picture, it's just a number's game. How many citizens overall can we save if you tell them everything is OK and try to solve the problem, v's how many citizens can we save if we tell them all to prepare and use American ingunity, etc? Sure, 5-10% more Americans could prepare if they knew, but in the process, the banks failed, business went bankrupt (those which did not sell critical pdts.), gov't workers were bombarded with phone calls and quit from stress, citizens had heart attacks, and the problem STOPPED being solved because our society was so "y2k" crazy that programmers had to stay home and get their families prepared, Red Cross workers had to stay home and get their families prepared,etc. OVERALL, perhaps the gov't did the right thing. Only time would tell. No, I'm not a Troll...just trying to look at the picture from a different angle in case our gov't isn't ALL bad.

-- Marcie (skymtfarm@aol.com), December 11, 1999.

Marcie, that's an interesting take. I hope you're right, motivations do count. However, my sister was DWGI until she heard the official don't worry be happy line, it changed her mind - cynicism isn't all bad!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), December 18, 1999.

Folks, it's simple... COMPANIES FULLY INTEND TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MONEY ON AND AFTER JANUARY 1, 2000. That fact alone protects you more than the government, MRE's, bunkers and shotgun shells combined.

Pam, you wondered 'how long are the programmers going to hold out'? I've been writing code for 20+ years now, I personally know tons of developers, and I don't know of a SINGLE ONE who is 'bugging out' for the hills. Supposedly by now, according to our resident Chicken Little and Gary North, there should be dozens of us heading for the hills. It's barely over a week away, and NOTHING is happening in that regard. Supposed ripple dates in April, August and Sept passed without incident. The doomsday scenario is WAYYY off base, and coders know it best of all.

I think it's about time Cassandra Yourdon start planning a REAL career, especially since it's been in a stall for years now. Maybe that's why he's working on fiction these days.

-- DH (dh100@netscape.net), December 22, 1999.