The most under reported story in the year 2000 is
the effect of the Y2K bug on systems in this
country and around the world. Thanks to GICC
and its many posters for providing information
that would only be found in local papers. There
were a lot of stories that had solid Y2K
relationships and maybe 20 times that many that
were only in the probable or possible category.
Here is a partial list of stories that can be stated to
be in the solid category from the last half of this year.

• OK - Computer problems halt funds

• Factory Shutdown blamed on Y2K bug

• Hershey Foods Corp. Seeks New CEO

• OR: Portland billing glitch flows downhill

• OH: City resumes water shut-off notices

• WI: Schools plan to drop Ameritech

• TX: County comtemplates lawsuit over computers

• OH - $5,000 Y2K glitch hits timeclock

• MO: Thousands of Jackson County property tax statements incorrect

• CEO: SAP Installation Caused Problems

• MI: Computer woes a glitch

• NV: DMV to get more armed guards

• Fl: City may ditch Munis software

• GA - City's technology head resigns

• OK: Low Funds Caused By Computer Glitches

• Ohio: Agencies' Y2K haste makes waste

• WA - Audit finds errors cost sheriff's office $170k in lost grants

• Sante Fe: PNM blamed for water-billing errors

  And these are widespread problems with police
  departments not being able to arrest someone based
  on their computer
  read-out.

• Michigan Cops confounded by computer glitches

• WA: Computer's flaws stymie police

  And this from the State University of New York.

• SUNY blames Y2K for release of student loan files

  And this tax problem in Spokane

• The deadline looms

  And this from Australia

• AU: INCIS Doomed To Failure

  And in September . . .

• Harvard University [Mass]: Y2K upgrade problems

• NJ: Computer Glitch Forces Nursing Home To File For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

  and in August . . .

• NV - Computer Glitches Hold Up Child-Welfare Checks

• Spokane: Y2K problem: Health district failed to collect $190,000

• Clay County in danger of flunking audit

• E.Goshen Twnshp, PA y2k billing error

  and in July . . .

• Glitch delays property tax bills

• People Soft upgrade alleviates U. Minnesota problems

• That Y2K Bug Ain't Dead Yet

  These are recent posts in the Y2K discussion group

• NM: Medical Lab Recovering From Rough Start

• Alberta: U of A promises to find answers for computer woes

• CO: Fiscal fix has big costs for city

• N.Y. Court Rules Against Xerox on Y2K Insurance Coverage

  These stories are in the probable category.

• MI: State cancels contract to expand child support computer system

• AK: UAMS chief cites progress on billing, collection problems

• AU: Big jump in power industry complaints

• AZ: St. Joe's offers workers buyouts

Alaska Airlines maintenance software failure

The big story of this month is that the Alaska Airline
jet that went down in January of 2000 was due to have
its horizontal stabilizer replaced in December of 1999.
The new maintenance software installed failed to notify
the maintenance workers of the need to change the part
until 3 days after the crash. The FAA has been checking
the maintenance software of all the airlines to make sure
that the problem isn't widespread. Here is the possible
Y2K connection to planes falling out of the sky, trains
derailing and other disasters that are caused by parts that
had not been changed expediently.

Here is a link to some graphs on nuclear SCRAMs and
refinery capacity. The oil graphs were done by L. Cassels
Hunter.

Nuclear power SCRAMs graph and Oil capacity graph

And here are some businesses that had Y2K problems

• Whirlpool to Cut Up to 6,300 Jobs

• Beverly Enterprises posts net loss in quarter

• Owens Corning Files for Bankruptcy Protection

  Owens Corning has commenced a Declaratory
  Judgment action against Factory Mutual
  Insurance Co. and six other carriers in
  Delaware Superior Court (Approx. March 17),
  seeking coverage for Y2K remediation costs
  under two all-risks policies. The amount
  sought is unknown but quarterly statements
  from Owens Corning suggests that it spent
  some $160 million in Y2K remediation between
  1995 and 1999.

• INSURANCE COVERAGE DISPUTES

• ConnectiCare, Inc.

• England: Y2K to blame for Compel profit slump

• Informix relates Y2K troubles

• Hartco Corporation Reports

• Hershey Foods Licks Computer Woes

• TransNet Reports

• Whirlpool whipped by Prudential

• Programmer's Paradise, Inc. Reports

• ILOG Reports

• AZ: 'Trib' circulation drops from Y2K billing delays

-- spider December 29, 2000.