This is precisely why we don't get details on the DOD's military plans: they don't want to panic anyone. Those nasty
"Year 2000 doomsayers would see it as evidence of a large-scale public disruption." Says David Wennergren, deputy chief information officer of the Navy
Your darn tootin' we would. What we need is evidence and truth-telling by officials to make the case that there will indeed be serious ramifications so we can create effective awareness in order to decrease ultimate public panic. Awareness of the magnitude now will increase the preparedness of citizens and organizations. A prepared community does not panic. A community panics when those in authority publicly downplay Y2K, puting everyone to sleep when a sense of urgency is critical. We need bureaucrats to drop the "three day bump-in-a-road" metaphor and to take on gutsy leadership.
I wonder why FEMA is suddenly interested in citizens not taking their money out of the bank? Maybe they should re-name it FFMA; Federal Fear Management Association.
A word of wisdom and advice:
"Tell the truth and tell it fast"
And as Douglas Carmicheal says...
"Those who want to hush the problem ("Don't talk about it, people will panic", and "We don't know for sure." ) are having three effects. First, they are preventing a more rigorous investigation of the extent of the problem. Second, they are slowing down the awareness of the intensity of the problem as currently understood and the urgency of the need for solutions, given our current assessment of the risks. Third, they are making almost certain a higher degree of ultimate panic, in anger, under conditions of shock"
Navy: DOD must balance Y2K preparation, public perception
BY BOB BREWIN (antenna@fcw.com)
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Defense Department must be careful to prepare for possible Year 2000 problems while not alarming the public, a top Navy official said.
DOD commands worldwide must take prudent steps to ensure that Year 2000 computer date bugs in critical infrastructure systems -- electricity and telephones, for example -- do not cripple operations, according to David Wennergren, deputy chief information officer of the Navy. But Wennergren, speaking here at the service's semiannual Connecting Technology conference, added that preparing for possible interruptions -- what he called "consequence management" -- needs to be balanced with preventing public distrust and worry -- what he called "perception management."
For example, as part of its Year 2000 consequence-management efforts, Wennergren said a Navy base might bring in water tankers shortly before year's end to ensure that the base's water supply is not interrupted if computers fail. But perception management would dictate against such a move "because people outside [the base] would want to do the same thing," Wennergren said.
Wennergren said good perception management also would oppose calling out the National Guard to handle any Year 2000-related incidents. "You do not want to call out the National Guard," because Year 2000 doomsayers would see it as evidence of a large-scale public disruption, he said.
From the Navy's standpoint, Year 2000 should not cause much of a problem because the service has fixed most of its mission-critical systems, Wennergren said. The Navy has certified 612 of its mission-critical systems as Y2K compliant, leaving 53 systems requiring certification.
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