Y2K: An Autobiography

It's been a long time since our last episode. The reason is simple, Y2K has become History - what better way of closing this project than by highlighting the latest, and best in my opinion, Y2K Documentary 'Time Bomb Y2K' produced and directed by Brian Becker and Marley MacDonald and now airing on HBO. TBY2K took an interesting approach to presenting the Y2K saga - they told the story via archival found footage. No current interviews, no commentary in hindsight, just an honest look at what it was like to live through the decade that was dominated by Y2K. Join us for the last episode of my attempt to tell my tale of Y2K. If you wish to contact me, do so via pdejager@technobility.com if you wish to watch all the Interviews with Y2K Luminaries? Head over to www.vimeo.com/ondemand/Y2K and subscribe for a month or so, there is more commentary from others involved in Y2K, and the visuals help simplify the story. IF your organization would like to obtain the complete podcast for your archives AND as preparation for future Y2K like challenges, then contact me directly and we can make that happen.  If you worked on Y2K, then I offer you my personal thanks. Y2K was, from the start until the end, a group project.  Cheers Peter de Jager Toronto, Ont December 2023

An Interview with Vincent Balouet - the former Y2K leader in France. If you wanted to know WHY the situation in France was so very different than in the rest of the world? This is the Interview to listen to. Vincent is a French consultant, he specialized in computer science and risk management (ESIEE Master); He  started his career with Y2k, as a computer science expert and wrote most of the French reports and publications between 92 and 99. He was successively called and appointed by computer security associations, CIO associations, French business associations and the French Government. He founded in 2013 maitrisedescrises.com, a French digital consulting online service to large businesses, addressing large systemic economic risks. You can view this and all the other premium content at: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/y2k

Fascinating interview with the Sheriff of London... who was deeply involved with Y2K Efforts in the UK

This is an Interview with Chuck Sevola - one of the leaders within the Prudential Insurance Y2K Project - He was involved in the Offshore Outsourcing to Tata Consultancy Services

Final Episode of the Audio part of this PodcastThere are additional episodes available at: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/Y2KPlease send your feedback on the series to Pdejager@technobility.com

In this episode we explore the big question - Why? Given that we believed that Italy (and others) did very little Y2K remediation did they experience no Y2K problems in the Year 2000? and? James Lauber will talk about a problem potentially larger than Y2K - and one we can do little to mitigate. A Carrington Event. 

The former editor-in-chief of CIO magazine and Computerworld, Maryfran is highly respected throughout the IT leadership community nationwide for her engaging stage presence, deep understanding of business technology issues and extensive network of Chief Information and Digital Officers.  In addition to her previous editorial leadership roles with IDG publications, Maryfran also served in 2016-2017 as an adjunct researcher for International Data Corp.’s IT Executive Programs. She holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from The Ohio State University's Kiplinger Program and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida. Prior to joining IDG, she spent 10 years as a reporter at daily newspapers in Florida, Washington State and Ohio.

Three articles this episode1998 Dec 14th - An UNreal Question - report from the UN1999 Apr 14th - How Bad, How Long, How Likely - a look at Y2K Preparations1999 Dec 20th - A Best Kept Secret - A look at the HTC - High Tech Consortium And James Lauber explores how computers fail in Strange ways

In this episode I look back at a few important articles that appeared on the year2000.com website - My Testimony to the US House of Representatives, Doomsday Avoided - and my responses to the responses to that somewhat controversial article. In addition? We're introducing a new feature - Tangential IT Issues with James Lauber - where we start exploring the 2038 problem in some detail

This is the entire keynote I gave at this conference --- it was one I called 'The Two by Four' talk. An uncompromising, unrelenting talk designed to get the listener to either take action and start fixing the problem, or storm off in a huff determined to prove I was wrong (and then contact me later to say I was correct)Enjoy. 

If you'd like to view the video version of this interview? Head to: www.vimeo.com/technobility/bonusRobert Sawyer is a SF Writer with dozens of books to his credit - and both Hugo and a Nebula awards as bookends to his work. One of his novels, "Flash Forward" was made into a TV series, so it's more than likely you know some of his work already.I'm pushing the next regular episode of the podcast out to July 7th 2020 as I take a small holiday in the midst of the lockdownEnjoy, spread the word and leave some feedback please.

Covid-19 resulted in Lockdowns, which resulted in Unemployment levels that exceeded all past expectations, which resulted in Unemployment systems - usually in the legacy category - bursting at the seams which resulted in call outs to COBOL programmers which highlighted a flaw in how we view 'Legacy Systems' It's not about old code - it's about old systems designs. Since Y2K involved many of these same systems, the question arises did we miss an opportunity? This episode takes a look at one area where Y2K remediation failed miserably. 

What was the Embedded system problem? How we know it was real, what we imagined and what we worried about. If you want to receive a copy of 'A Crock of Clocks'?Email me at pdejager@technobility.com

A Look at the commonalities that people have been discussing... why they occur and why they are normal human behaviours.    

A look at a small subset of the many conferences that were held around the world during the 1990s. The topics presented, how the story changed as we moved from Innovators to Early Adopters, from Early Majority to Late Majority and to save time? We ignored the laggards.

We treated it as a Change Initiative, here's how we did that. 

I thought it would be useful to give you a taste of the interviews that are in the Ondemand section of this Podcast series. Join me as I have a conversation with Murray Campbell who was once a Journalist with The Globe and Mail and who was brave enough to fly with me from Chicago, IL to Heathrow London that fateful night.Spoiler... we survived. p.s. I will continue with 'It was a Change Problem' April 6th - my schedule is a bit up in the air, as is everyone else's these days. 

While Y2K was a technical problem for those who worked directly on it, for myself and a few others who were attempting to create awareness - it was first and foremost a Change Management Problem. I've wrestled with how to present this particular aspect of the project. I could just talk about what I did through the 1990s, but that would only highlight the results of my thoughts and not how I decided what to do. So, I've decided to do this in two parts;- In the first? I'll focus on why it was a change project and what 'Change Concepts' I used to frame the 'awareness' project.In many ways this session is a template for any real world problem where a change is desired, but can't be commanded to happen.I'll spend time on explaining WHAT the template is attempting to achieve and why each component is important.This is what I'll present this friday In the second part, episode #7 - with the framework in place - I'll fill in the Y2K particulars. Together They'll provide a 'theoretical framework' and then a real world example of how to use that framework. Hopefully? You'll be able to take these two as a framework for your future Change initiatives. Note? Episode #6, while it will touch on Y2K - it'll be primarily about 'Change' - and less about Y2KEpisode #7 will highlight exactly how things like, the Y2K cartoon book, the NY Stock Exchange 'de Jager' index, and putting year2000 website up on eBayserved an agenda other than what was visible to anyone other than myself. In more than 2,000 Y2K interviews - none of the above was ever discussed. Join me as I explore the strategy behind much of what was visible.

A quick update on the Y2K Interviews available in the ondemand sections of this podcast You can find the interviews here; www.vimeo.com/ondemand/y2k

Y2K isn't one story - there was a technical side and there was the hyperbole. We went from Y2K - an 'acronym' for 'Year 2000' - a purely technical issue about a field overflow problem to? TEOTWAWKI --- another acronym for THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!!! ... caps and exclamation points are used deliberately to convey what can only be described as unfettered hysteria. Join Peter as he explores how the message of this technical issue was almost destined to spin out of control. And... his look back on how he was involved on both sides of the final perception of Y2K CheersPeter de Jagerp.s. This podcast is meant to be a lookback at Y2K and those who were involved - IF you were involved? Contact me - your story should be a part of this archive.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Y2K is that it was much to do about nothing. 'Nothing happened' is the generally accepted narrative. This episode is a litany of errors. Those than came before 'Y2K' was a thing, Those that we caused while trying to fix what we found, the problems we found and had no choice but to fix, the problems that happened on the 'day' and all the many problems that continued long after January 1st 2000... all the way up to 2020 AND the ones that will inevitably show up as we cross specific trip wires in the future. Y2K was an issue - we have the receiptsThe Premium version of this episode is located here: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/Y2K

This time around - we focus on how exactly we 'solved' Y2K. From full date expansion to adding Century codes, from the Temporary fix that was date windowing,  to something out of Star Trek called Time Warping. And of course, all the implications for any of the fixes that we deployed. 

How we fixed Y2K, from Field Expansion to Date Windowing, from Time Warping Data to TriageCORRECTION to the description... )This is what happens when you work when down with the creeping crud). The title is correct... It IS about the tech problem and it sets the stage for fixing it via the techniques mentioned. THIS episode is JUST the technical details that affected HOW we'd apply the fixes described. Note to self -- Murphy's laws are always in play... even in session descriptions. sigh.

Peter explains what were the drivers behind the Y2K concerns and his determination to get people to pay attention to the issue.You can email him at: Pdejager@Technobility.com

A quick update on the status of the PodcastIdentifies the plan for at least 10 episodes, the schedule and support options. The real show begins Jan 1st

If you'd like to see the video component of this? Head to: https://vimeo.com/327913268If you'd like to contact me, perhaps to be interviewed as part of the series? You can do that via; Pdejager@technobility.com

This is just a place holder... stay tuned (and spread the word)