MIT [Greenspun forums] offline 31Dec99

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

All the computers at MIT, which this forum is based at, will be shut off by December.31.1999. (I'll have to train myself to write the full year digits :>) The staff stated that everything will be backed up beforehand. They say they will slowly and carefully start systems and try to handle problems as they arise. Hopefully this forum will come back intact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

received this via the Millennium Salons from that list maintainer G.A. Halonen.

mb

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), December 25, 1999

Answers

$#!+

-- :_( (:_(@:_(.:_(), December 25, 1999.

Hopefully this forum will come back intact. Sounds pretty pollyanish to me.

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), December 25, 1999.

Will comp.software.year-2000 stay up?

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), December 25, 1999.

Hey Be,

Happy Holidays, and kiss my ass! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 25, 1999.


If this forum will be shut down by the 31st where do we all want to go so we can keep in touch and keep everybody uptodate with what's happening round the world on the 31st, and also on the 1st, (incase it's a day or twos before this forum gets back)?

Suggestions?

Any chance someone out there with a good site (i.e. fat pipe, fat server) that can make a mirror of this forum on a server that will be up until late on the 31st back up early on the 1st, so we can use that for a couple of days?

-- Interested Spectator (is@the_ring.side), December 25, 1999.



I'll check out that mirroring idea asap. You'll hear from me.

-- Rainbow (Rainbow@123easy.net), December 25, 1999.

IS:

My best guess is that the net is not going to work too well during that period, anyway. Y2k. Indirectly. The list of people withdrawing from the net [an over generalization] is very large. It is unlikely that there will be many data routes.

Best wishes,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 25, 1999.


Rainbow:

Thanks sounds good. Keep posting to this thread to keep us uptodate. Same for anybody else who wants to help and then we can reach a consensus in one place rather than a dozen and then nobody knows what was final. And you'll have to co-ordinate with the sysops. I'm not involved with the operation of this forum in any way.

Z1X4Y7:

You may be right, however my guess is that those with ham radios will be able to communciate from the countries to those in other areas still up. Perhaps now would be a good time for those on this forum that have ham radios to get intouch with each other and work out a way to keep this forum (at its new location if one is found) posted with happenings, so those of us who can still connect can get the real story rather than CNNs or the local radio (via .gov) version (if they are still broadcasting). Or at the very least we'll be able to come back in a day or two when we can connect and see what really happened. If we don't try, the world will forever have to rely on what .gov said happened and history as written by the media.

Remember the whole IP foundation of the Internet was designed by DOD to allow communication to continue in the event of a nuclear war when parts of the communication infrastructure is destroyed as packets will find routes that are still up. So my guess is that unless the internet is specifically turned off (i.e. primary DNS servers shut down, main trunk lines shut down, etc.) routes will still be found.

I don't think ATT, Sprint etc are going to shut down the primary trunks (unless .gov pressures them). Also incase local DNS is failing it would be wise to keep the IP address of the mirror if one is established.

If parts are disconnected as you suggest I think it will just be for the rollover, not for a couple of days. So that should not be much of a hinderance for us.

-- Interested Spectator (is@the_ring.side), December 25, 1999.


Well,

I'll recontact Phil, but this was my last communication about the subject.

Diane

Subject: Re: Will the Greenspun/MIT servers be up over the New Years weekend?
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 12:33:45 -0500
From: Philip Greenspun philg@mit.edu

I have no plans to turn off any computers. I was unaware of any MIT- wide shutdown.

Philip



-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 25, 1999.


o.k., besides all our doubts in regard of internet availability it is one way or another a good idea to have one or two mirror sites - opened as long as possible. location of the server should be at west coast US to minimize all risks already known to lurkers and regulars.

-- Rainbow (Rainbow@123easy.net), December 25, 1999.


Diane,

can you gimmy some specs that I'll be able to check out if there will be an alternative working for us?

Unix or NT box, current trafic in MB / day, MB space required etc.

-- Rainbow (Rainbow@123easy.net), December 25, 1999.


IS:

"If parts are disconnected as you suggest I think it will just be for the rollover, not for a couple of days. So that should not be much of a hinderance for us."

That would be my guess [and it is a guess]. If power is stable and there are no problems restarting all of this stuff, it will be back soon.

Best wishes,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 25, 1999.


Just a suggestion...password the alternative. I am basically against passwords because of newbies and lurkers here. But that won't be an issue at that time, and would save yourself alot of "grief"; especially if you might be dealing with less than ideal internet conditions. A spaming attach could disable the forum for many legitimate users.

I will be off line at that time...but would be nice to (hopefully) read the posts at a later time.

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), December 25, 1999.


Radio Shack sells here, in their flyer, a complete worldwide SHORTWAVE listening guide for about $10C. Pick one up!

I have NO intent of being on the Net from the afternoon of the 31st onward, until at least well into Jan. 1, assuming there are no or inimla problems reported. One reason is that due to the unpredictability of Y2K viruses, and power surges(even being protected by UPS's), I don't want my computer trashed.

As far as SW goes, I would trust it far more than the Clintoon News Network, or any other network for that matter.

I have posted little here the past week, as it takes time away from prepping and Christmas. But the one VERY worrisome news that I read that cannot be denied by the pollies are all those US Navy ships tied up in dock, just ready (Y2K ready?) for a nuclear strike. To me, that says it all about the massive lie/spin smear pulled over the sheeple's eyes this past year.

Does anyone know if any of the major news networks are commenting on this, and how they are explaining it?

Anyway, gotta go, but just remember that the contest is still open that I started about 10 days ago for guessing which "Bunker Bill"(Gates or Crinton) will show his face first,when if at all, after the Millennium CDC. Very interesting that only a few days after I posted that, someone posted the "final" press conference for the Whore House Press Corpse where it was mentioned that Commie Comrade Crinton would NOT make an appearance until AFTER the CDC!

And just shortly after that, it was announced that Gates was spending the New Year on board a converted Navy boat somewhere near NZ!

Sounds like the GRand Plan is piecing itself together. Season's Greetings to all, and hopes for a non-cataclysmic New Year.

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), December 25, 1999.


Hell to Pay:

Better yet, my R. shack SW receiver has over 200 stations programmed into ROM. It is so much easier. Boy, I hope that it is Y2k compliant.

Best wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 25, 1999.



The whole idea of shutting down components of the internet is absurd. Who needs the internet if it isn't there just at the time when people need it the most. Keep the internet up! That should be our rallying cry. Spread it far and wide. If it crashes at midnight so be it. Guess what. If evryone left everything alone we'd be better off.

-- b (bs@b.com), December 25, 1999.

bs:

My guess [and I am guessing about everything in this area] is that you don't understand the organization of the net. There is no one who can order people not to protect their investment in equipment by unplugging. Unplugging will occur in a large way. DOD will still work. Learn to live with it.

Best wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 25, 1999.


Mitchell-

This business of "shutting down" computers at MIT was a suggestion .

It is not mandatory.

the end.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), December 26, 1999.


plonk, go rag on someone else. I just cut and pasted.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), December 26, 1999.

For those worried about a year 2000 virus, why not set the data back a day or two and let someone else take the initial risk. I plan to do that myself, and I will also avoid opening any email attachemnts.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), December 26, 1999.

Those of you with IRC clients -- mIRC, ircle, etc. -- who are not queasy about staying online through rollover might consider setting up a common channel (#TB2000?) on one of the IRC networks to keep chat alive (and get updates from various locations) for the duration. If so, it would probably be a good idea to open and maintain the channel from at least 12/30 forward..

-- panjandrum (panjandrum@samfoote.net), December 26, 1999.

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