Y2K: Standardised Responses

         Over the last 20 years I have endured an amazing range of
         responses by people when confronted with the Year 2000
         conundrum.  I now mentally categorise these.

         (Cases of agreement that there might potentially be a problem
         are so rare, they have no category).

         a) The "Man in the street" or "Dumbo" response.

            "Huh? Who cares?" (Walks away with glazed eyes).

         b) The "Techie" or "Argumentative" response.

           "Oh, no. You've got your facts all wrong. If you
           just divide by 92 and extract the square root the
           problem disappears. You must Migrate to NT."

         c) The "Humanist" or "Bunny-hugger" response.

           "Oh, but I LIKE two digit years."

         d) The "Management" response.

           "Oh, this is all overhyped. You are over-reacting.
            Anyway, there is no budget. Get out of my office."

         e) The "Top Management" response.

           "Thank heavens, I shall have retired by then."

         f) The "Vendor" or "Buck-Chaser" response.

           "Really? Then you need my new XYZ product. Where can
            I check your credit?"


         The bottom line of course is that it does not matter what any
         of these people think.

         They will be constrained to whatever their manufacturer of
         choice deigns to give them.

         That penny has, needless to say, not dropped.

         They still think they have choices.

         So much for the Socratic method. Now we need a Big Stick.