The Brit Gov is set to launch a massive news dissemination (disinformation?) exercise to meet the y2k bug threat. The Cabinet Office plans to collate y2k failure reports between 31 dec amd 04 JAN using a team of more than 50 civil servants and press officers (spin docs), the aim being to centralise Gov announcements on reported y2k breakdowns at home and abroad (ie deny them). Critics have dismissed the move as an attempt to spin news of y2k problems. The cabinet office denied that this was a news management exercise. But they would say that wouldn't they. I suppose old Klint intends to do the same, except he'll probably use 500 members of the security forces, perhaps he hasn't even thought of the idea.

-- Sir Richard (richard.dale@unum.co.uk), December 10, 1999

Answers

Link?

It'll be interesting to see how that pans out, and whether there's pressure put on the media to ONLY report the news that gets filtered through the Bunker. The BBC will have correspondants in earlier time zones, so they will have an alternative source - should they choose to use it.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 10, 1999.

NIce to see you back, Richard.

Limericks at 20 paces?? Nah, wouldn't be fair. I'd be going to a gunfight armed with a quill sharpening pen knife.

Good luck to you at CDC.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 10, 1999.

Yes nice to be back thanks Chuck

link is with this weeks Computer Weekly (UK)

last salvo of limericks unleased for time being on limerick fest they seem to be obsessed with Sir Cook's birthday, well thats over now i'm trying to think up some new entertainment or perhaps club for the enlightened De Yourdonites

-- Sir R (richard.dale@unum.co.uk), December 10, 1999.

Thanks Sir Richard! Nice to read you again.

Evidence suggests that Mr. Klint has not only thought about doing this but has actually started doing it with the help of Mr. Kosky.

The Spin Machine is on full and we still have our resident optimists suggestion that the failures we are seeing are only "everyday" in nature.

Best wishes sir!

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), December 10, 1999.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001efj [snip]

Wednesday October 27 11:25 AM ET

Britain Steps Up Millennium Bug Plans

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced Wednesday fresh measures to prepare for the millennium bug -- a government nerve center that will operate over the new year and a leafleting campaign to reach every British home.

Leader of the House Margaret Beckett said the Government Millennium Center would coordinate across the administration to react to unexpected events from new year's eve until at least until Jan. 7.

She stressed that any problems that do arise could be due to the weather rather than the bug. ``We don't want people to be alarmed unnecessarily,'' she told reporters.

Home Secretary Jack Straw, alongside her, said the operation would also allow news from those countries nearer the dateline, who will hit the new millennium hours earlier, to filter through and lessons to be learned.

A select band of journalists will be allowed into the center to report direct.

Beckett said government systems were tested Tuesday by ''Operation Herald,'' an exercise where hypothetical new year events were thrown at officials to test their responses.

It went well enough that another full-scale exercise is not planned, she said.

``We are not expecting any major disasters,'' Straw said. ''But we have a clear duty to check and recheck the emergency arrangements.''

He said public safety was paramount, with London bearing a heavy brunt with up to three million revelers expected to throng the capital.

``London will bear a very heavy burden from celebrations and celebrants on millennium night,'' he said.

Beckett will make a statement to parliament Thursday over government's millennium compliance -- sorting out their systems to make sure the glitch, which meant some computers would not recognize the year 2000 and could crash, has been eradicated.

Monday, Beckett will launch a new leaflet campaign to raise public awareness, an official told Reuters.

A 24-page booklet will be sent to every home in the country at a cost of $15 million.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 10, 1999.