TEOTWAWKI

Bill Slater's Year 2000 Information Page

teotwawki = Sounds like an American Indian word for golf tee, but it means "The End of the World as We Know It!"

I resisted the temptation to put up a Year 2000 Information Page for a long time, but because it is such a big thing and because I get so much traffic on this website (over 100,000 hits per month), I decided to provide some good Year 2000 information resources. This is what EVERYONE, including our government, should be really thinking about. I personally feel that it will be the biggest hurdle we have ever faced as a nation. Am I worried? You bet! But I am confident that like all big crises, the American People will rise to the occasion and meet this challenge.

Here are the reasons it's serious:

1) We are so heavily dependent on computers -- our way of life would drastically change for the worse without computers and/or the electricity to run them.

2) There are more of us, especially of the reactionary variety -- Current estimates of the U.S. population is about 290 million people, 90% of which live in cities of 100,000 or more.

3) Thanks to things like TV, radio, and the e-mail and web features of the Internet, information moves around much faster than ever before.

4) The severity of the problems with the Y2K problems in the embedded systems which control the power grid cannot be overstated, as can the implications of power grid failure be underestimated.

5) At present, the national leadership is so preoccupied with damage control over the Monica Lewinsky scandal that it seems to lack the will, the ability, and the moral leadership to build the Bridge to the 21st Century -- the key campaign promise of their 1996 presidential campaign.

Here is my recommendation for what it's worth:

Starting at the 400 day point before the Year 2000, a committee consisting of private industry leaders, academic officials, and government leaders should issue a truthful, readable, bi-weekly report on the Internet and in newspapers on the state of Y2K critical systems conversions. This would accomplish a lot to educate people and calm the fears of the masses to avert a world wide panic.

One of the Best Year 2000 Countdown Clocks

Click on the link below to see one of the best Y2K Countdown Clocks on the Web.

http://www.ringwood.com/Y2K

Stay informed! To get on an excellent Y2K Mailing List from "Year 2000 News", send these folks an e-mail: Click here! (Note - this is a great e-mail report and I subscribe to it myself, but I am in no way connected with its content or production.)

A Possible Timeline of the Events Up Through Feb. 2000

http://www.supplies4y2k.com/supplies/timeline.htm

Anyway, check out the URLs listed below and read for yourself about the nature and magnitude of the Y2K problem. Please suspend any cynicism you might have and read with an open mind.

Interesting URLs for Y2K Information

http://www.prepare4y2k.com/howbad.htm

http://www.prepare4y2k.com/opinion.htm

http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/specials/y2kbug/index.html

http://www.y2k.com

http://www.year2000.com

http://www.2000.com

http://www.supplies4y2k.com

http://mercers.com/se/

http://www.yourdon.com

http://www.weyrich.com/book_reviews/electric_y2k.html

http://www.phoaks.com/phoaks2/newsgroups/comp/software/year-2000/