Cory Hamasaki's DC Y2K Weather Report V2, # 33
"August 10, 1998 - 508 days to go." WRP89
(c) 1997, 1998 Cory Hamasaki - I grant permission to distribute and
reproduce this newsletter as long as this entire document is reproduced in
its entirety. You may optionally quote an individual article but you should
include this header down to the tearline. I do not grant permission to a
commercial publisher to reprint this in print media.
As seen in
USENET:comp.software.year-2000
http://www.elmbronze.demon.co.uk/year2000/
http://www.kiyoinc.com/HHResCo.html
Don't forget, the Y2K chat-line: http://www.ntplx.net/~rgearity
any evening, 8-10PM EST.
--------------------tearline -----------------------------
Please fax or email copies of this to your geek pals, especially those
idiots who keep sending you lightbulb, blonde, or Bill Gates jokes,
and urban legends like the Arizona rocket car story.
If you have a Y2K webpage, feel free to host the Weather Reports.
Did you miss Geek Out?
Project Dumbass needs you.
In this issue:
1. FAA on Schedule
2. FAA Hum-job
3. DC graft continues.
4. Citizens for Y2K Recovery
5. Share
6. CCCC
------- FAA Back on Schedule, a DC Y2K Report Special -----
Hit the search engine at http://www.washingtonpost.com, notice the trend
of the articles. On August 3, the FAA is back on schedule, then on
August 7th, Oopsie, my pants fell down!
2 items matched your search criteria.
Items 1 through 2 are displayed below:
Agency Is Back on Schedule
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Monday, August 3, 1998; Page A10
FAA May Run Out of Time To Fix Y2K Bug, GAO Says
By Stephen Barr
Friday, August 7, 1998; Page A23
------ Fair Use Doctrine, Virtual Xerox handed out in cyberclass ---
FAA May Run Out of Time To Fix Y2K
Bug, GAO Says
Agency Disputes Expert's Assessment
By Stephen Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 7, 1998; Page A23
Despite making significant progress on its Year 2000 computer
problems, the Federal Aviation Administration probably does not have
enough time in the next 17 months to fix and test many of its most
critical air safety systems, a congressional investigator told a House
panel yesterday.
"In the time remaining, it is doubtful this can be done," said Joel C.
Willemssen, one of the General Accounting Office's leading Year
2000 computer experts.
Two top FAA officials disputed the GAO's assessment. Ray Long, the
agency's Year 2000 project director, testified that he believes there is
enough time to fix all of the FAA's critical systems. Long said the
agency plans to fix all systems by June 30, 1999, leaving "ample time"
for testing and detection of errors before Jan. 1, 2000.
John L. Meche, the Transportation Department's assistant deputy
inspector general, gave a mixed assessment. He praised the FAA's
focus and effort but said "it is way too early to start celebrating." In a
prepared statement, Meche described the FAA timetable as "still
cutting it too close."
Rep. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.), who chaired the House
technology subcommittee hearing, reminded the audience at the
Rayburn House Office Building that any substantial breakdown in the
air traffic control system would not jeopardize public safety, since
planes would be held on the ground, but "would obviously cause
economic dislocation."
The FAA depends on an array of computer and telecommunication
systems to control air traffic, provide weather alerts to pilots and select
airlines for safety inspections. Each of the FAA's 20 centers that
control high-altitude traffic between airports relies on about 50
interconnected systems to safely guide commercial flights, for
example.
Six months ago, the FAA was seven months behind schedule on
fixing Year 2000 computer glitches, also known as the Y2K bug. But
by working double shifts and weekends, agency programmers appear
to be getting a handle on the dimensions of their software problem.
Dennis DeGaetano, the FAA's deputy associate administrator for
research and acquisitions, told Morella that the agency has repaired
more than two-thirds of its "mission-critical" systems and should meet
government-wide deadlines set by the Office of Management and
Budget in late September.
But the GAO's Willemssen said the FAA projections "are based on
very optimistic schedules that may not prove to be realistic." To meet
its schedule, the FAA must fix 157 computer systems by September
and then repair another 42 within the following month, Willemssen
said.
Even if the fixes are made on schedule, computer systems still must
be tested and certified as ready for the year 2000 at FAA technical
centers and again at scores of field offices across the country.
"A task of this complexity will be time-consuming and difficult,"
Willemssen said.
The Y2K problem stems from the use in many computer systems of a
two-digit dating system that assumes the first two digits of the year are
1 and 9, a convention adopted years ago when coding space was at a
premium. Without specialized reprogramming, the systems will
recognize "00" not as 2000 but as 1900. That misinterpretation could
cause the computers either to shut down or malfunction.
Questions about potential air traffic disruptions in 2000 also came up at
a briefing held yesterday by John A. Koskinen, the White House czar
for Y2K issues, at the U.S. Information Agency Foreign Press Center
here.
Koskinen said he was extremely concerned about the possibility of
failures in the air traffic control systems of other nations, especially
those that have not yet paid much attention to the Y2K problem.
The State Department has asked its embassies to begin assessments of
Y2K problems abroad, Koskinen said. At some point next year, he
said, the department will analyze its Y2K reports and determine
whether it should issue warning advisories on air travel abroad.
¸ Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
-------- End Virtual Xerox of clipping -------
Doesn't seem as cheery as August 3rd but doesn't sound exactly
horrible... well, that's because the Washington Post is presenting a
balanced article. Sparing no expense as usual, your DC Y2K WRP
journeyed all the way into dangerous Washington DC, to 620 National
Press Building, and got copies of the Federal News Service Transcripts
of the Hearing of the Technology Subcommittee of the House Science
Committee...
Here are a few paragraphs from the actual transcripts. Shussh... the
hearing is already in session at the Rayburn House Office Building, John
Meche, the assistant Deputy Assistant Inspector General for the U.S.
Department of Transportation is responding to the progress report on the
FAA, let's listen....
------ begin actual transcript ----
Mr. Meche: While this is welcome news, it is way too early to start
celebrating. Currently the FAA is reporting it is on schedule to
achieve the next major OMB milestone, fixing all 159 mission-critical
systems by September 30, 1998. As of July 31st, FAA reported 106 were
repaired. With less than sixty days to go, FAA still have 53 systems to
be fixed, 11 of which are complex air traffic control systems. FAA also
has six systems under developement that it has yet to determine if they
are Year 2000 compliant.
Before moving on I'd like to discuss more about the 106 systems reported
as repaired. I'd like to call the subcommittees' attentions to our
display chart. As you can see in the last two weeks of July, FAA
reported its repaired systems went from 37 to 106. DOT guidance set
aside three things that must be accomplished when claiming repair is
complete: modifying program codes, replacing hardware and commercial
software, and developing software for daily exchange between systems.
For the systems reported as renovated we found there was limited support
for the work reported as done. If the system needed replacement parts
and they were ordered, FAA counted the system as repaired. And limited
evidence existed of what needed to be done on system interfacing.
This reporting is not consistant with DOT guidance. FAA and DOT need to
reach an agreement on what definition will be used for reporting
purposes. FAA still has 102 mission-critical systems that will not be
tested and implemented by March 31st 1999. This includes 19 percent of
the mission-critical air traffic control systems. Because of the
complexity and interdependency of the air traffic control systems, it is
imperative that FAA begin testing and making concerted efforts to give
itself as much cushion as possible.
---------- End Actual Transcript ---------
OK, cyberclass on Y2K... notice how the Washington Post's article says
that Meche:
"praised the FAA's focus and effort but said
'it is way too early to start celebrating.'"
and "the FAA timetable as 'still cutting it too close.'"
but in the actual transcript of his testimony, he appears to be calling
them a bunch of sneaky-mouse, clueless, happy-talking, false reporting
renegades. Remember, this is the DOT's Inspector General ripping the
FAA a new one. Oh, and the SIA's street tests went well, that's what
they said. ...and Banks will be ready, because they get it ... and
there's no problem with rail....
But it gets better, here's a little more testimony, listen closely,
Committee Chair Constance Morella (R-MD) is grilling Ray "I'm a PhD from
the school of hard knocks" Long.
--------- Begin Actual Transcript --------------
Rep Morella: GAO reported, we just heard, said your data exchange
inventory is incomplete. And of the 1,400 interfaces that you know
about, there are 684 that you don't know if they exchange dates. Is that
correct?
Mr. Long: Yes it is.
Rep Morella: When will you be able to know if these interfaces properly
exchange dates?
Mr. Long: I don't manage to have the ... all of that completed by
September 30th, with the rest of the interface activity. I did
knowledge the fact we are behind in that effort, GAO is exactly right.
But we're going to focus a fulltime staff to that much like we did the
host in the international that will start immediately.
Rep Morella: And so therefore you will by that time too, allowing you to
identify those interfaces that need repair?
Mr. Long: That whole activity would be completed by September 30th, it
will be identified and we'll have our agreements in place. Much of
those agreements are already in place with what they call ICD's or
interface control documents. But we have to look at our interface
control documents, that's where a lot of the data's going to come from.
So we believe we have a jump start on that.
Rep Morella: Um hum, um hum, fine.
--------- End Actual Transcript -----------
Rep Morella is apparently commenting on the Hum-job that Ray Long of the
FAA has just given. Note that Ray Long's testimony doesn't answer Rep
Morella's questions and some of Long's statements make no sense at all
and appear to be random babbling... a fine Hum-job.
Yep, I'm full of confidence, no problems on Wall Street, Banks get it.
Power Industry... hey, that's under control.
All I can say is ... RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
------- Marion Barry out, DC doesn't change ------
Today's Washington Times (the Moonie Paper) reports that the new City
Manager has been steering contracts to her pals from Texas. They say
it's more outrageous and blatant than anything Barry did... well, I
don't think so. I'll wait until she sucks a crack pipe on TV and drops
her pants for the camera; until then, give her a break.
-------- Citizens for Y2K Recovery -----------
Check out their site at http://www.y2krecovery.org
I'm doing a talk on emergency communications for them. They're hosting
a grass roots conference in DC. Should be fun. I think they'll be
buying my lunch...
--------- Tom Raines' Funeral ----------------
It was a clear morning in Arlington, the line of cars stretched
completely around the section, the honor guard was Army this time, they
rang the bells for Tom, said the words, and fired the guns. They folded
the flag, saluted the colonel one last time and then it was over. One
more won't see the clock count down to triple zero. One more waiting
for us in Valhalla.
--------- Share Technical Conference ----------
The superprogrammer's conference, be there as the heavy hitters gather
in Washington DC, August 16-21. DC Hilton.
http://www.share.org
http://www.guide.org
This is the technology conference of the year. Top billing goes to Year
2000. I'll be taking Tuesday off to cruze the exhibits. IBM should
have their Warthog 60 MIPS mini-mainframe, a couple Multiprises, and
maybe, if we're lucky, the new high speed CMOS boxes.
Any big iron Y2K'ers goin' to Share? Let's get together on Tuesday. We
can talk about the PeeCeeWeeNees behind their backs.
-------------- CCCC ------------------
Oh my, I'm clueless. I tried to sked w/ frank N4zhg on 147.315+ last
week. I heard him but I couldn't quiet the repeater. I was operating
with 1 watt and an indoor antenna. I have a ringo ranger, that would
improve the signal. ... the 70 watt amplifier would help too.
n4zhg this is ah6gi, copy?
These are dark, dark days... the good news from the FAA turns out to be
a big hum-job; the SIA has a happy-face on; Merrill Lynch's costs are
spinning up (check out Reuters, Aug 10, 1998). This has got to be the
last gasp of clueless denial. When we drop below 500 days, it'll be
time for everyone to take a hard look at their personal situation, the
community, and the national infrastructure.
Is the power industry on track or is this another hum-job? Do banks
really get it or did they just receive a shipment of knick-knacks?
I'm fretting, I'm wringing my sweaty hands together, my eyes are darting
about.... it's JACK NICHOLSON LOOKALIKE time.
But there're better days a coming. For geeks, the September-October
flip means new budgets, new contracts, and higher contract rates.
..got your consultant's suit on, nice shine on the wingtips... have you
practiced saying your rates... look at yourself in the mirror, -gasp-,
what a fine specimin of geekdom you are... if you're a geekette, you
should have a couple pieces of tasteful jewelry; you are too fine
looking for words... now go out there and get that big raise, bonus,
contract... they need you more than you need them.
Have you teamed with other geeks? Got your network of trusted pals,
code heads who do quality work, work you can trust? In the next 508
days more than one of your pals will be working at a company that
craters out or goes deathmarch, it might be you. Keep your network
active so you can tap a pal if you have to bail fast.
I expect all you geeks to be earning double your current rate by next
spring.
cory hamasaki 508 days...