Re: Re: Y2K clearance sale

[Sean Roach <roach_s@mail.intplsrv.net>]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

At 06:28 PM 1/10/00 -0500, Sunder wrote:
>
...
Various statements preceeding Sunder's.  Deleted for space.
>
>Ignore him.  It's assholes like him that didn't patch his own
>computer and probably paid $50 for some shitware to do so for him.  
>
>IMHO, the reason that New Years went so smoothly was because of us
>Y2K preparing morons.  I've left no machine I've responsibility for
>unpatched.  I've been screaming bloody murder at the management
>about systems that weren't for at least a year.  They all were
>replaced.  
>
>The usual prisoner's dilemma square does take effect:
>
>        You    Prepared | didn't
>Y2K Fizzled :   1 win   |  2 win
>------------------------+-----
>Y2K disaster:   3 win   |  4 fucked
>
>
>If Y2K fizzed (and it did):
>1. And you prepared for it - you're out $500 on supplies and
>canned/preserved groceries which you can reuse.  You still win.  
>
>2. If you didn't prepare for it, you didn't spend any money, nothing
>happened to affect you.  You win.  
>
>If Y2K was a disaster:
>
>3. And you prepared for it, you've won.
>4. And you didn't prepare for it: you're fucked.
>
>
>Which is better?  To prepare or not?   The 2nd pair is uncertain. 
>The first doesn't harm you no matter what you do, so you don't lose.
> Infact, should there be a serious emergency in the future, you're
>already prepared.  So what do did you lose?  
>
>I've learned my lesson hard a long time ago.  A while back I had
>this shit 286 system and I backed up my drive.  Back them tapes were
>expensive, so I just reused the tape. Lucky me.  Norton backup
>locked up in the middle of a backup, destroyed my files on the
>drive, and since the backup didn't complete, I couldn't restore it. 
>  
>
>You can bet your ass I'd be anal about preparing for anything.  (And
>buying extra backup tapes. :)  
>
First of all.  Sorry but I haven't read the whole thing.  I've been
ignoring this list for awhile doing other things.

Sunder, I'm with you.  I must say I did prepare for Y2K.  I, and my
family, made sure that there was enough food for a week, just in case
there was a last minute run on the grocery stores, there was, mostly
after bottled water.  I know because I was picking up my weekly fix
of caffienated beverages.  Dad checked to make sure the generator
ran.  Still needs an air filter, but otherwise.  We set aside some
gasoline.  I backed up my computer because it had Windows on it.

Were we honestly expecting the world to shut down tomorrow?  No.  Did
we think there would be rioting in the streets?  I live in Oklahoma,
out in the middle of nowhere.  Did we pull out all of our money and
invest in a safe?  No.  Did we have a few extra supplies on hand just
in case?  Yes.    Does the person traveling farthest from home on any
given day, or going by an unusual route, take a cell phone with him
or her?  Yes.  Do we have more vehicles which run then people who
drive?  With the understanding that if your car doesn't start, you
can hop in the spare?  Actually yes.  This comes from living on a
farm in my understanding.  Do I keep a key in my watch pocket just in
case I lock the other in the car.  Absolutely.  Are there a few more
lightbulbs in the back room just in case one burns out?  Definately. 
Do we expect to actually need any of these preparations?  Well, with
the exception of the last three, no.

Perhaps it should instead be said, that those who were huddled in
thier bomb shelters overreacted.  Those who honestly believed the
federally sponsored pamphlet claiming that your car may not start
because it too has a computer, are truly technologically illerate. 
And those who decided to get drunk, and whatever tomorrow brings, so
be it.  Those we should ignore.  After all, what is the REAL
probability that the government will take interest in your
communications?  Probably pretty low, but that doesn't stop us from
wanting to be able to speak in relativly assured privacy does it?

Good luck,

Sean

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.1 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com>

iQA/AwUBOHqdn5HDoiHtqFDZEQIsCACgjulHX67HVQAFw+8o0SgcQJFrYTAAn3Ka
8waDkl60L0EZKLTEe2HdiOsV
=+g84
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----