POSTSCRIPT: This website was frozen on December 31, 1999, as a permanent document on how all of us acted and reacted to the Y2K myth from 1997 to 1999. There will be no updates. Enjoy reading all of the emails, especially the wild ones from 1998. - David Robert Loblaw, 03 January 2000
Viewer Feedback -- updated 31 December 1999
I judge the success of a website not on the number of hits, but the quantity and quality of the responses. This page will always show the most recent ones. The quips below are -- obviously -- just snippets of a few of the many, and sometimes lengthy, emails I receive and hopefully these bits reflect the whole.Check out the weird and
wonderful Email Archives:
1999, Part 3
1999, Part 2
1999, Part 1
1998, Part 3
1998, Part 2
1998, Part 1
DECEMBER1999@aol.com
"At this point, I'm beginning to feel mildly ridiculous for having swallowed (and yes, perpetuated) the doomsaying of the previous 12 months. I can't help but feel somewhat embarrassed for myself and my Christian brothers & sisters who not only bought into but fanned the flames of what is looking more and more like a tremendous non-event, called Y2K. As I write this I hear TV anchor-people describing the rollover as 'Y2ok'."
"I deeply admire your faith in your belief and strength to advocate something totally opposite to what most people say. I believe that one has to have stronger faith in what one believes than before in this information-flooded time."
"The unfortunate part about it, is that many of the somewhat 'uninformed' folk are just acting on what they hear from 'reliable' sources. Right now, it seems that the loudest voices are the money chasers and marketing campaigns pushing for more sales. I think a good question right now is; Just who the hell is reliable in regards to this issue?"
"I read some of your other e-mails and i think that with your collection of e-mails indeed you should write a book...and make some profit off of the bug yourself!"
"I'm sorry I didn't get to see your site earlier, I was to busy laughing my guts sore over the doom sayers and the lot. I thought in this day and age of better education, communication and science that people the world over would know enough to realize 'Chicken Little' is a childrens story."
"I am 47 years old, and have lived through quite a few scares, from threat of nuclear war to the collapse of the world economy. The world just thrives on disaster after disaster."
"In another day or two, people are going to be pointing their fingers not just at the doomsayers and profiteers, but at everyone involved in actually solving the y2k problem as well. I'm going to be called a charlatan and a thief by the general public, because I've put in a lot of sleepless nights ensuring that 2000 will arrive with a yawn."
"You may want to create a list identifying what companies spent on Y2K (possibly as a percent of gross income). Then publish the names of those involved in the Y2K project in the company that spent the most and the company that spent the least. In this way those who spent the most will never find work again and those that spent the least may find new and more lucrative employment (which they deserve)."
"Those that should know better (I know of quite a few well educated and computer literate people) are reluctant to debunk the issue in the way that your site does. This scam has been allowed to continue and should have been stamped on by the majority of sane thinking people."
"My mother is ready for the disastor..she has a closet filled with food stuffs, she has chained her sliding door in with a huge chain rope, she even has a case of toliet paper (48 rolls)....she is ready...she even has five gallons of this non alcholol wipe that you can use to bathe yourself without water in case there is no water."
"I wish we in New Zealand weren't 'doomed' to be 'the First', but that's life. Normally we like winning. I also think this whole thing is going to appear a huge joke to people in the future, i.e., starting in a few days or weeks' time."
"I told many people of your site and how it had the info to dispell the MYTH! As a born-again Christian, I watched many of my brothers in Christ make fools of themselves with their posts."
"All of a sudden, I've noticed that many of the people most worried about Year 2000 "bug" have done a 180 in the past two weeks. Just in the nick of time to save credibility and/or face?"
"Your not a very intelligent Canadian.... Man you are lost, and definatley must be a Psychologist or a big time Skeptic that has an absolute disbelief in ANYTHING."
"I can't wait for all of those y2k gurus to be shipped off to mental hospitals for their insanity and paranoia and delusions. I know that when or if that ever happens. Then the media will cover it extensively. And then go into how much was or wasn't effected and then they will probably even admitt they were wrong to inflate the computer glitch into an 'issue' and tell the world."
"Never before in the history of IT has so much been spent by so many with so little to show! (Apologies to Winston Churchill)"
"The millenium and the Y2K bug don't even coincide. The new milenium (sp?) starts January 1, 2001. So if nothing catastrophic happens January first, the hystericals can just keep on stockpiling for another year. And you can keep the site going for another year, if you're not sick of it!"
"I hope in February, we all hunt these fear-mongers down and make them live in their imaginary 2000, in a tiny metal bunker and force them to actully put their worm-farming techniques to good use."
"If nothing Y2K related of major proportions happens in Russia, China, India or Brazil and I mean major (i.e. nuclear reactor meltdown) then i will E-mail you back and apologize and admit you were correct."
"After all, you have documented proof that you said the whole thing was overblown foolishness years ago.... It's going to be sooo entertaining to see the recriminations floating around in January over who inflated the Y2K non-crisis to such proportions and why. (And how much money did they waste?)"
"At a recent govt. run 'Y2K Infrastructure Seminar' one of the organisers said that Y2K had moved on from being a technical problem to a psychological problem. I would go further - in some cases it is pathological."
"I think I'll call your bluff----I bet you're thinking of buying some batteries and a flashlight (just in case) ... but your sense of humour is cool."
"What really scares me is that so many truly crazy people are going to be terribly disappointed when nothing happens at midnight on December 31. Won't they be really pissed off and try to start their own apocalypse? Are we actually in any kind of danger from the temper tantrums of the crazies? Does anyone know of info available about what could result from the let-down?"
"Have fun with your site, still take precautions from the mob not the computers, watch the Y2K sites, companies and consultants disappear on 1-1-00. They are the ones who are non-compliant."
"And 'Action 2000' the UK taxpayers' cash-waster is now putting round leaflets because so many people have taken to the hills holed up with 2000 (of course) tins of corned beef and stuff, or have closed their bank accounts and are stuffing their mattresses with banknotes...."
"Y2K has been solved already - billions have been spent fixing the problem and most computer systems are already processing Y2K dates - so how is the world going to end? Some people are just complete and utter wankers!!"
"I pose one question to all of those that have stocked up tons of food, water, and supplies. Are you willing to defend your supplies? Here's another thought: It's cheaper to feed a man than to shoot him."
"I love everything you have sent to me, I print it out and give it to my y2k loony in-laws, who by the way, cant wait for the world to crash."
"WE CAN'T WIN: If the world comes to an end, the Y2K'ers will say "I told you so!" If nothing happens, they'll say, "It's because we were so vigilant and worked so hard to solve the problem!" *sigh*"
"Y2K is an issue, not a hoax, and by your own admission it does indeed exist... I'm not a hypster, Y2K consultant, or the like.... Time will tell, my friend. Pray your view is wise.
"I think you should write a book about this ..you have a fine collection of email.. I mean it would be great for future generations to look back on this and have a chuckle."
"As a marketing student myself, i know that this is just another money-making strategy of those corporate computer giants ready to devour the poor, defenseless consumers who haven't the slightest idea what they are being paranoid about."
