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The WASHINGTON POST (July 10) ran a long article: "Government Said to Move Too Slowly on Year 2000 Computer Problem." The subhead: "Partial Crash Poosible if Machines Aren't Able to Recognize Date, Specialists Warn."
There are 4,500 "mission critical" computer systems that must be repaired. Only 6% are fixed. [That is, 6% have been said by someone, somewhere, to be fixed, sort of, if you know what I mean: "It's close enough for government work."]
About 35% have undergone a systems analysis. This is the simplest step. [The California White Paper estimates that this is about 1% of the job.]
Thomas D. Oleson of International Data Corp., a y2k consulting firm, is quoted as saying the government's situation is "way behind the eight ball." Fixing it "is nearing the point of impossibility."
Social Security: of those parts of its system that need repairing, "half have been fixed," says a government report. [This is significant. They have been working at SSA since 1991 to get this problem fixed. This is mid-1997. What does this tell you? What does it apparently NOT tell reporters who cover the y2k story?]
Defense: The agency has 4,000 systems. Over 2,700 need to be fixed. The agency is 23% done with renovation, and 8% have been tested.
I hope this document remains posted. If it doesn't, at least you have the highlights.
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