Guest guest Posted December 21, 1999 Report Share Posted December 21, 1999 "COM: SPU (Sravanam Publishers Ukraine)" wrote: > [Text 2868803 from COM] > > ... I can with the > whole responsibility say that the Y2K problem was invented by American mass > media. There is, indeed, a very insignificant problem with PC's and some > other small computers. It is not faced by computers designed for Unix type > operating systems, for these computers will have problems in 2013 due to the > specifics of UNIX. And so on. The whole thing, I agree, is very profitable > for software corporation that are making money on the bug that hardly > exists, and easily could be solved within one month, if this was the > purpose... > > yhs, jayagovardhana dasa -=@tHE cRaCkEr@=- and computer pirate... > well, at your service! ******************************************* Hare Krsnal dasi replies: I'm not sure in which way you are blaming the Americans for the Y2K problem. Human beings are subject to 4 defects: 1. Tendency to make mistakes 2. Imperfect senses 3. Tendency to cheat 4. Tendency to be in illusion I will agree that there is a lot of (3) cheating going on as a result of Y2K, but I believe that the original computer problem is more a matter of (1) tendency to make mistakes. It's not just a hype. Y2K has many aspects, and many of them will affect us whether we "believe" in it or not. 1. Original computer error means that many computers, microprocessor chips, etc, will interpret 00 as 1900 instead of 2000. This has already happened. This is why the State of Maine issued car registrations for "horseless carriages" to owners of new, year 2000 model vehicles. ************************************* 10/12/99- Updated 05:54 PM ET Y2K cars mistaken for 'horseless carriages' PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - State government got its first Y2K surprise months early when owners of 2000 model cars and trucks received titles identifying their new vehicles as ''horseless carriages.'' .... http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg412.htm *********************** 2. Attempting to make needed computer upgrades may result in other mistakes: ******************************* Y2K Test Causes Huge Sewage Spill 4 Million Gallons Seeped Into A Van Nuys Park VAN NUYS, Calif., Updated 12:03 p.m. June 17, 1999 -- How do you know when a computer system has failed a Y2K test? When it caused 4 million gallons of raw sewage to spill into the streets. CBS 2 News reports crews armed with vacuum trucks worked through the night to clean up the mess that seeped out of the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation plant... http://www.channel2000.com/news/stories/news-990617-081237.html ------------------------------- 100,000 still powerless in meter crisis Thousands of London Electricity's pre-paying customers have been left without hot water, light, or cooked food for days, as a plan to save them from the millennium bug goes "horribly wrong". They dare not even sleep for fear they miss a knock at the door from an engineer coming to fix the problem with their Powerkey meters, because they have been warned that if they do it could be 24 hours before help arrives again. A London Electricity spokeswoman admitted: "It's all gone horribly wrong in London, due to technical problems with a piece of equipment which occurred at the weekend." Around 400,000 customers have been told to change their Powerkeys in order to keep their meters working when the new year begins. Unfortunately, a problem with the new keys corrupts the meters in 25 per cent of cases and the customer is left without power. Associated Newspapers Ltd., 05 August 1999 This Is London http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=161397 -- Wednesday 17 November 1999 Y2K compliance sparked fire-hall fireball: union MICHAEL MAINVILLE; Travers of The Gazette contributed to this report. The Gazette Attempts by the city of Montreal to stave off a Y2K computer disaster are being blamed for causing the blaze that gutted Fire Station 26 in Plateau Mont Royal on Monday night. And the Montreal firefighters' union is saying that more than half the city's fire stations face the same computer problem - making them accidents just waiting to happen. Monday's blaze was determined by police to be accidental, after a firefighter left a batch of french fries cooking on the station's stove when he responded to a fire on nearby Iberville St.... http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/pages/991117/3159499.html ************************************ 3. Agents may deliberately corrupt software while pretending to upgrade it ************************* U.S. finds malicious code changes in Y2K "fixes" By Reuters Special to CNET News.com October 1, 1999, 5:30 a.m. PT WASHINGTON--Malicious changes to computer code under the guise of Year 2000 software fixes have begun to surface in some U.S. work undertaken by foreign contractors, the top U.S. cybercop said yesterday. "We have some indications that this is happening" in a possible foreshadowing of economic and security headaches stemming from Y2K fixes, Michael Vatis of the Federal Bureau of Investigation told Reuters. Vatis heads the interagency National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), responsible for detecting and deterring cyberattacks on networks that drive U.S. finance, transport, telecommunications, and other vital sectors. A Central Intelligence Agency officer assigned to the NIPC said recently that India and Israel appeared to be the "most likely sources of malicious remediation" of U.S. software... http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1009-200-428804.html?tag=st.ne.1009.thed.1009-200-428804 ************************** 4. People may cause bank runs or riots as a result of fear of not getting needed food, money, fuel, etc. [At this point, I have no examples of this.] ************************** 5. Computer hackers will create new viruses to win notoriety on the turn of the millenium: ************************** New Viruses Act Like Y2K Glitches By Ann Harrison 12/20/99 A growing collection of viruses, worms and Trojan horse programs are exploiting the year 2000 date change, further bedeviling information technology managers who already are on alert for Y2K software glitches. Some threats, such as the recent Babalonia virus, attempt to present themselves as Y2K fixes. Others, including the recently discovered W32/Mypics computer worm, are set to activate Jan. 1 and are disguised as Y2K glitches. The worm overwrites checksum data in the host computer's CMOS memory, which will seem like a Y2K error in the computer's BIOS. Other Y2K-related viruses, worms and Trojan horses include Troj.Polyglot (also known as Y2K Count), Worm.Fix2001, W97M.Chantal.A and W97M.MMKV. http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/991220D316 *************************** 6. Religious Fanatics, Militia, Organized Crime and like groups may use Y2K to launch criminal or terrorist attacks. See for example the following excerpt from the FBI's Project Megiddo: ****************************** IX. CONCLUSION Extremists from various ideological perspectives attach significance to the arrival of the year 2000, and there are some signs of preparations for violence. The significance of the new millennium is based primarily upon either religious beliefs relating to the Apocalypse/Armageddon, or political beliefs relating to the New World Order conspiracy theory. The challenge to law enforcement is to understand these extremist theories and, if any incidents do occur, be prepared to respond to the unique crises they will represent. Law enforcement officials should be particularly aware that the new millennium may increase the odds that extremists may engage in proactive violence specifically targeting law enforcement officers. Religiously motivated extremists may initiate violent conflicts with law enforcement officials in an attempt to facilitate the onset of Armageddon, or to help fulfill a "prophesy." For many on the extreme right-wing, the battle of Armageddon is interpreted as a race war to be fought between Aryans and the "satanic" Jews and their allies. Likewise, extremists who are convinced that the millennium will lead to a One World Government may choose to engage in violence to prevent such a situation from occurring. In either case, extremists motivated by the millennium could choose martyrdom when approached or confronted by law enforcement officers. Thus, law enforcement officials should be alert for the following: 1) plans to initiate conflict with law enforcement; 2) the potential increase in the number of extremists willing to become martyrs; and 3) the potential for a quicker escalation of conflict during routine law enforcement activities (e.g. traffic stops, issuance of warrants, etc.). http://www.fbi.gov/library.htm [Requires Adobe Reader] ****************************** AROUND THE NATION Be on lookout for terrorists, Americans told WASHINGTON -- President Clinton's national security adviser urged Americans to be "vigilant" against potential terrorist attacks at home and abroad over the holidays. Sandy Berger, head of the National Security Council, said Sunday that authorities still were seeking to determine whether an Algerian arrested for allegedly bringing a trunkful of bomb-making explosives into Washington state was part of a terrorist network. "We're not aware of any other specific threat against particular targets in the United States," Berger said on CBS' Face the Nation. "Obviously, if that changes, we'll alert the American people." http://www.ardemgaz.com/today/nat/wnation20.html ******************************* 7. The cost of addressing Y2K in the US alone will be at least $8.34 billion. (That does not count forthcoming lawsuits.) ************************* Yet, OMB says now, in the very report Clinton was discussing in his press briefing, that the cost will be $8.38 billion: "Agencies now estimate they will spend $8.38 billion fixing the problem from Fiscal Year 1996 through Fiscal Year 2000. This includes expenditures in FY 1996 - 1998 of $3.50 billion and estimates of an additional $4.88 billion through FY 2000... Funding in FY 2000 will support completion of final contingency plans, agency Y2K project office operations, and other agency activities to monitor and manage the transition into 2000. In total, costs have increased by $37 million (0.4 percent) from the September-reported estimate of $8.34 billion. To the extent that agencies encounter additional requirements in FY 2000, these estimates may continue to rise..." http://www.wbn.com/y2ktimebomb/Computech/Issues/lcore9950b.htm ******************************** 8. Damage or perceived damage will result in lawsuits on a phenomenal scale world-wide: **************************** Trial lawyers aim their guns at tech community John Sullivan Technology companies dodged a bullet when President Clinton signed legislation in July limiting Y2K lawsuits. But too many leaders of the industry don't realize they are still looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. As trial lawyers expand their endless search for huge verdicts -- and the deep pockets to pay them -- Bay Area technology companies remain a high-profile target. The inaugural round of suits against the tech industry involved securities. But product liability and negligence won't be far behind -- probably in the familiar form of class-action lawsuits and demands for enormous punitive damages. As jury awards rise, hardware and software manufacturers only increase their exposure by not intensifying their fight for legal reform... As plaintiffs' attorneys expand their search for defendants capable of paying huge verdicts, auto and tech firms become obvious targets. http://www.amcity.com/sanfrancisco/stories/1999/12/20/editorial3.html ************************* So, the reality is that the whole complex issue that we call "Y2K" is not simply a conspiracy by American software dealers to sell more software. It's a real problem which already has produced many very real results. And it will undoubtedly produce more in the weeks and months to come. ********************************** The Myth of Conspiracy © 1999 By David O'Daniel Eddy December 15, 1999 When the good ship Y2K runs up on the rocks, one of the first things to be jettisoned will be any shred of historical memory or truth in a frantic search to find some evil conspirator(s) who did the dirty deed... http://www.wbn.com/y2ktimebomb/Techcorner/DE/de9950.htm ******************************* WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR HARE KRSNA DEVOTEES? It means that we're probably going to see tremendous economic, technical and social changes around the world in the next few years. These changes will impact world markets and they will impact our funding for many projects, for building temples and for maintaining existing temples, for maintaining our farm communities. It will also provide us with many new preaching opportunities -- if we are willing to accept the new challenges that Krsna sends us, and if we are quick to adapt to new ways of doing things when our old familiar ways are no longer economically or technologically possible. But, please don't say that Y2K is just a hype. It's already started to show its effects -- whether we "believe" in it or not. And it will undoubtedly show more. We just have to be awake and use the changes that will come to find new opportunities to spread Krsna consciousness. Shutting our eyes in denial will not help. Opening our eyes to find opportunity in the midst of new problems will make a difference. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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