FORD MOTOR CO. posted January 01, 2000 04:18 PM

I have a friend I know personally who was working at this Global Response Center in Dearborn, Michigan.There are hundreds of computers here that conducts Ford's business around the world. He told me that all did not go well with the rollover. Computers were taken down one by one as the country they cover passed through the rollover. When booted back up many were looking at blank screens. They have all the head honchos and IT people working on them to work around or get them fixed.

The cafeteria has been opened up to feed this crew and they are working through the weekend to try to resolve problems that they are having. Not being particularily computer literate much of what he told me went over my head. He said the problems were big though. He's going back in to work tonight and tomorrow night.

I guess unless you're on the inside of these companies you'd never know what kind of problems they're having as no one wants to put out a press release that is unfavorable. I know that my testimony doesn't have a link, so take it for what it's worth, but I've know this man for over 15 years and his wife is my best friend and I belive him.

TAMPA POST OFFICE HUB posted January 01, 2000 04:25 PM

The US Post Office--International Airport location in Tampa Florida, computers crashed Thursday. I heard this directly from an employee who is also my friend. As far as I know, their computers are still down. I will contact him again Monday to see what the situation is then. [Posted by moderator]

-- Areyou (Still@polly.com), January 01, 2000

Answers

This is the kind of anecdotal evidence we really need. Good work.

MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE!!!! Verify, Corroborate!!!

Thank You,

Wave

-- Wave (eades1@flashcom.net), January 01, 2000.

Yes, Thank You and folks, keep it coming!!!

-- Jess (alisaunde@aol.com), January 01, 2000.

Are you...

Thanks for the report.

I think we all should remain aware that we wont hear about private sector problems from the mainstream media until they become too large to hide or they are required to be reported because they impact business and stockholders have to be informed...

Also, we are still reliant upon both the gov, the mil and private sector to self report... and we know from past experience how that goes.

It's gonna take awhile to really get a sense of what's happening. Anyone who thinks that at less than a day after the rollover everything is fine...during a holiday weekend...is a little too optimistic IMO.

Mike

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-- Mike Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), January 01, 2000.

I can verify the general message in the original post. But please remember problems were expected. People were on duty to repair them. Also consider that this manufacturing organization has been closed since 12/23/99 for the annual Christmas holiday. No production at all. The "fun" should begin on Monday January 3, 1900 ... I mean 2000 I really don't care though: I've been depressed since finding out I'm officially "non-mission critical"!

-- Richard Greene (Rgreene2@ford.com), January 01, 2000.

Rumor Destroyer,

How do you know?

Wave

-- Wave (eades1@flashcom.net), January 01, 2000.

Areyou's assesment is ON TARGET. Problems are cascading through all the major auto manufacturers. It's doubtful they will be back in production any time soon, if at all.

-- (billgref@horostec.net), January 01, 2000.

Rumor Destroyer; Point made BUT sometimes this sort of information IS true. The lady sounds like she is reporting what she has heard. If she has not, it is the worst kind of lying. Lets us wait to see before we condemn this lady to lying.

There is ample evidence on web sites all over the net today that programmers screw up date calculations when it comes to CDC. The real question is what effect it will have on the systems using those dates and whether those systems which were not fixed up front will be easily fixed now.

There is STILL a whole lot of work to do. Much of what I feared has passed. I did not see that flash in the sky over Hampton Roads that I so desperately feared. My Va Power flew threw it with narry a burp out here in Middlesex County. The telephone still works. My systems are running. Still, the small businesses have to get their stuff up and running Monday. Year end accounting packages have yet to be run. We have not yet gotten thru Sunday without some sort of dreadfull news.

My brother came in this evening with some stitches in his knee. They cost him about $50.00 each for six stitches. The good news is that he got to keep his leg (chain saw burped, probably y2k related :)

Now LIGHTEN UP. Still "waiting".

-- Michael Erskine (Osiris@urbanna.net), January 01, 2000.

Excuse me, Rumor, but I have never ever seen a testing environment where NO significant errors occurred, as the TV news told us on the rollover.

If NOBODY went down, the information has to be wrong. They went down in testing. What? In realtime they did better than testing?

There's no point in saying "we fixed it." Italy didn't fix it. Small business didn't fix it. Third world countries didn't fix it.

But they didn't have any problems either.

So the only logical conclusions are: a) It wasn't broke. b) The juries still out.

-- Ariana (pergados@yahoo.com), January 01, 2000.

Rumor destroyer, I'm glad it's just a rumor that I really didn't work all damn day to fix a downed server. shot the entire day to hell.

-- (roark@not.now), January 01, 2000.

Look Rumour, unless areyou is a total moron, I take the person at their word. Let's face it, the only source of truth you will accept is through the media. Ok. Fine. But don't expect for the gov't or big business to notify the media that they are having problems -- it's bad for business, and frankly, if I were in their shoes I probably would not tell either. If Ford can get it fixed by Monday, good for them. If not, bad for them, and for us.

-- mello1 (Mello1@ix.netcom.com), January 01, 2000.

Rumor destroyer,

You are wrong in your comments on this story. I should know. I'm the one who posted this story at Hyatt's forum. I got the information directly from the man who was working on these computers. This is a fact. This is not a rumor.

Unlike you, I'm willing to put my name and real email address to this story.

There are problems. All did NOT go well during the rollover. Problems are real. Many are working on this right now. It may be that they will get it fixed or perform work-arounds to get the systems to function.

Time will tell. The Y2K problem is a story about time isn't it? Let's give it more than 24 hours to play out. If problems are solved, then we'll never hear about it. If problems are not solved, then it will have a domino effect that will eventually trickle down to all of us. Problems could manifest themselves in longer times for parts delivery or paperwork glitches. There will most likely be coverup stories and no mention of it being a Y2K problem. Most will accept it as a everyday computer glitch, albeit a costly one. At some point problems may be so big that some will suspect the truth. It will then be apparent that Y2K was not easily solved.

Brenda Looney LOON

-- LOON (blooney10@aol.com), January 01, 2000.

Look Rumour, unless areyou is a total moron, I take the person at their word. Let's face it, the only source of truth you will accept is through the media. Ok. Fine. But don't expect for the gov't or big business to notify the media that they are having problems -- it's bad for business, and frankly, if I were in their shoes I probably would not tell either. If Ford can get it fixed by Monday, good for them. If not, bad for them, and for us..

-- Mello1 (Mello1@ix.netcom.com), January 01, 2000.

This sounds entirely likely. We're entering into a kludge-and-cleanup period, which should take a few weeks to fall below the usual noise level. There will be no shortage of problems to cluck over. Let's all hope most of the worst messes get adequately squared away as soon as possible. It really doesn't matter how much credibility we give every rumor or second hand story. What matters is how well things work, on the whole.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), January 01, 2000.

Richard Greene,

Have "they" said what they will do with the "non mission critical" personnel?

Ya know, the infrastructure could come in A-OK and we could still have a world class recession if companies lay off these people.

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It ALL went away 7 hours ago.com), January 01, 2000.