"Y2K may be playing a role in the stock market's recent weakness. Mutual
funds may be selling stocks to raise cash in order to build up liquidity." -
Goldman, Sachs & Co. chief U.S. economist William Dudley"

Interesting how the media's cresendo about everything going to be fixed
on time, and then going about *setting up?* the public by reporting that
hackers are ready to unleash all these terrible viruses around the first
of the year, causing the Y2k problems that government,industry, etc all
fixed. Spin, spin, spin.

f. bertrand

Concerning the Y2K problem, has no one pointed to the fact that
computers don't use a decimal representation, they use a binary
representation? In binary, the numbers 99 and 100 contain the same
number of digits (1100011 and 1100100). All the numbers from 0 to 255
(00000000 to 11111111) fit in an 8 bit byte and pose no arithmetic
problem.

If 8 bits are used to encode the year, starting from the year 1900, then
the year 2156 (1900 + 256) might be a problem because the number 256
won't fit in 8 bits: 255 + 1 = 0, or, in binary, 11111111 + 00000001 =
00000000.

2028 may be a problem too because 128, 10000000 in binary, may be
considered a negative number in signed, 8 bit arithmetic, so 127 + 1 =
-1 (01111111 + 00000001 = 10000000).

Jeff

I've beat up on software engineers and PHMs about Y2k, but this one hits
another one right on the button. Here we are 74 days from rollover and we
are still arguing about whether it is a hoax or not. Did we miss the
blizzard of research papers on the topic? As soon as deJager wrote his first
article, academia should have been all over this.

Tom

Has anyone out there been able to get a "Compliant" rating for Access97? I
have applied SR2 and MS 3.5 Jet, as suggested by MS, but still can't make it
complaint.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks.

Bloomberg News reported that an official on the country's Y2K council is recommending that Japanese citizens store 3 weeks of water and food but not to store 3 weeks of cash (because it would cause a bankrun). Clearly not Japanese official recommendations but indicates some concerns in Japan.

Sorry no link. The story is available on AOL.

TEOTWAWKI:A good REM song and prophecy. Life is about change, so be ready. I'm finding that many software "fixes" for Y2K have not been fully tested and companies don't have the wherewithal to do a complete test of major supply or data vendors. The supply line is what will be interrupted and "modern business" does not have the patience to be inconvenienced. Many businesses run on the principal of on-time delivery of goods and services, which will be severely impacted by Y2K. Marginal companies or those with high overheads will not make it through this period. The average person will be inconvenienced and will "camp-out" for a while but may find their job may no longer exists.

Beginning of the Biblical End Times? TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World As We Know It)? Serious problems worldwide? Sporadic problems in the US, potentially-serious problems in foreign countries? A bump in the road?

My guess is the second to the last scenario. I'm betting my town's electricity stays on.

I'm not betting my life, though. I'm prepared!

I approach y2k in a completely different way. I am sensitive to the changes that the earth is going through: more earthquakes, floods, volcanic activity, sun spots affecting communications, etc, etc, etc. Many people sensitive in these areas feel that a time is coming of great change. I believe this completely. I feel that the y2k hype is simply to prepare people by making them think of ways to be self-reliant in case of major earth changes that will disrupt everyday life. This does not mean that I think that there is some great conspricacy out there that conjured up y2k to prepare people for the future. I simply believe that y2k coming at a time right before major physical earth changes will happen is a coincidence that is not a true coincidence.

I believe that the problems with y2k will be minimal. Perhaps a few days of 'spotting' of electricity, I do not believe there will be anything major. At least not in the US. However this does not mean that I don't have a stock of bottled water and that I will not stack some dried pasta and ragu, just in case. Better safe than sorry.

I approach y2k in a completely different way. I am sensitive to the changes that the earth is going through: more earthquakes, floods, volcanic activity, sun spots affecting communications, etc, etc, etc. Many people sensitive in these areas feel that a time is coming of great change. I believe this completely. I feel that the y2k hype is simply to prepare people by making them think of ways to be self-reliant in case of major earth changes that will disrupt everyday life. This does not mean that I think that there is some great conspricacy out there that conjured up y2k to prepare people for the future. I simply believe that y2k coming at a time right before major physical earth changes will happen is a coincidence that is not a true coincidence.

I believe that the problems with y2k will be minimal. Perhaps a few days of 'spotting' of electricity, I do not believe there will be anything major. At least not in the US. However this does not mean that I don't have a stock of bottled water and that I will not stock some dried pasta and ragu, just in case. Better safe than sorry.

I agree with Dragoncub. I think a lot more is coming than Y2K. I think all the earthquakes and odd weather, the European Union (revived Roman Empire), and the march toward a "New World Order" or world government, and work on a "final" peace treaty between Israel and the Arabs all tell us that we are living in the "end times". Along with storing bottled water and extra food, we need to be making sure of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He may be coming back SOON.

A thaught for the moment... what if, just what if nothing actually happens at the turn of the hand towards Jan. 1, 2000? Looking thru the latest news I have seen that the US costs for Y2K repairs have come to 100 Billion dollers. Now folks, will you as tax payers feel any better about this situation when Jan. 1, 2000 strikes and no planes fall from the sky, your PC still boots & executes all proper functions, the grocery stores still are in operation etc.?

Or what if...

...you have found out it was all in vain and that 100 Billion was spent towards "other" persuits (i.e., defense contracts etc.) to develope new lines of defense and technology applications for military or other Government persuits? All conjecture of course, although might there be some truth to the 'other half' of the storys that nothing will happen and this is all an elaborate ruse?

Questions, answers and all to much of the two. A truth betwixt the two... we shall see when Jan. 1, 2000 has come to greet us.

Can we discuss something without reference to religious superstition for once. Y2K is just a number. Technical problems that may or may not occur are just that- the only higher power involved here is Bill Gates. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are caused by forces within the earth's crust and the floods and freak weather are the result of MAN-MADE global warming.

Kim Arx

Don't Wait Till the Last Minute to Prepare for Y2K, says FEMA Director

WASHINGTON December 16, 1999 - Don't wait until the last minute to take care
of your Y2K preparations, FEMA Director James Lee Witt urged today. Witt
advised that the American public take steps now, not later, to replenish
their supplies of water, food and other emergency needs in case of temporary
interruptions that may occur in some areas after the calendar rolls into the
Year 2000.
"Everyone should always have on hand the supplies they'd need in the event
of a winter storm or other severe weather," Witt said. "While we don't want
people to over-react, everyone should take care of their preparations in
advance so there won't be problems."
The transition to the Year 2000 is not expected to bring major problems with
the nation's infrastructure, but temporary, local interruptions of services
may occur in some areas. FEMA and the President's Council on Y2K Conversion
have been advising people to prepare for Y2K as they would for any potential
emergency such as a severe storm.
"Y2K is just a reminder that all Americans should have on hand supplies to
weather interruptions that may happen for a variety of reasons," Witt said.
"It's a good time to make disaster preparedness a regular New Year's
resolution."
Specifically, it's recommended that people should have on hand a three-day
supply of food and water (one gallon per person per day), including special
foods for the elderly or infants, if necessary. Also, people should store
nonperishable food and a manual can opener, and should have on hand
emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries, a battery-powered radio
and a first aid kit.
For more information on recommended preparations, the brochure "Y2K and You"
is available on the FEMA Web site, at www.fema.gov.