Hi Red, I am sort of in the industry myself, and I don't think it is a
small thing. I have as many illfounded views as most other people, maybe
mine are a little more widely read than most ;)
1. Regardless of when the millenium actually starts, the shit will hit the
fan for some systems on 01.01.2000. Some other systems will go totally
nonlinear on 09.09.1999 as this is the "End of Time" marker on some databases.
2. Most Australian organisations, government and private, have been pretty
responsible about the problem. TBSAD, there are a lot of small businesses
that either aren't affected or dont seem to care much.
3. AFAIK there are projected problems with German air traffic control
systems, FSU nuclear facilities both civilian and military, and some
Japanese nuclear reactors. Cause for concern.
4. The USA could have a lot of problems with both supply chain effects on
business and millenium hysteria. I'd be thinking more about the hysteria
if I was in the USA. Lots of White Trash With Guns waiting for the end of
time.
5. No-one really knows exactly how far behind Asia is with Y2K
preparations because of the "Currency Crisis".
6. No-one really knows exactly how bad things are going to be.
>At least our canned food will not go to waste.
True. Never a bad idea anyway to have a couple of weeks worth of cans in
the cupboard ;)
The bottom line is: read as much as possible, prepare if it makes you sleep
better, and DON"T PANIC: if things go sideways it isn't going to help
anyway :)
Cheers, Andrew
_________________________________________________________
andrew at pcug.org.au http://www.tip.net.au/~andrew
"Beware of people who dislike cats."
-- Irish proverb
_________________________________________________________