Word: y2k
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...Talk to the software engineers, the ones who have been wading knee-deep in the raw computer code for some time now, and you'll find they are hardly planning to head for the hills. "I have no stockpile of water at home and no generator," says Microsoft's Y2K director Don Jones, "and I have a nine-month-old son. My wife says, 'Shouldn't we at least do a little something?'" Only as much as you'd prepare for a three-day blizzard, goes the prevailing advice...
Washington, however, is erring a little more on the side of caution. The government has built and unveiled last week a $50 million command center to monitor potential Y2K problems. The State Department has offered its diplomats in former Russian republics a ticket home for the duration. The Federal Reserve is printing up an extra $50 billion in currency. This, you might conclude, is going to be one heck of a blizzard...
Because even if the U.S. does turn out to be more or less Y2K O.K., other parts of the world may be less fortunate. "There's going to be some massive issues in other countries," says Steve Brown, CIO of Micron, a major PC manufacturer in Idaho. "Mexico's got problems. I also think Brazil's got problems, and Eastern Europe has got big problems...
They're not the only ones. Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, India and Indonesia are, a CIA expert warns, "especially vulnerable due to their poor Y2K preparation." Nigeria recently reported that up to 80% of its computers--and, more important, 69 of its 80 banks--are not Y2K compliant...
...China? Don't ask. Although significant progress has been made this year, the country's Y2K working group reports nagging trouble with a lack of funds and an even more severe lack of understanding. Thousands of state-owned firms are still fumbling for solutions. The State Department also warns Beijing-bound travelers to be wary of possible blackouts and food shortages...