Ytwok Martial Law

[moved from YtwokUpdate]

(04 Nov. 1998) I've just seen a story on the BBC's Newsnight about a leak from the Scottish Office. Apparently, the letter was protesting against reductions in troop numbers in the Territorial Army. It cited Y2K as a major reason why we should maintain troop numbers.

Here's the story on the web: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_208000/208029.stm

Yah, the Canadians are doing likewise - planning martial law: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/docs/news/19981027/GlobeFront/UTWOON.html . Btw,, where do you fall on the YtwokUpdate scale? --PeterMerel

Err, I feel that the BBC story has more to do with Scottish nationalism than any serious thoughts about martial law, or Y2K for that matter. Can't get to the G+M story, so can't comment.

But then, I remember when I was young the Army bringing food to us people in the high Pennines cut off by heavy snow; the Army turning out to douse fires while the Fire Brigade were on strike (this used to happen quite a lot in the UK); the Army searching for lost children, and so on.

I don't know but that I'm quite happy that a bunch of well-organised, very fit, highly trained men and women with vast resources and indestructible equipment are standing by to help me out if it all goes pear-shaped. --KeithBraithwaite

I've had this recurring nightmare (maybe it'll become a Science Fiction short story :) about Y2K coming close to "The end of the world as we know it" and Martial law being declared with all programmers being drafted into the Army in a special "programmers" brigade who are made to work long hours fixing broken COBOL and 370 ASM programs for the government. The justification would be that programmers are in "protective custody" to keep them from being massacred by howling mobs who can't use their cell phones :)

KyleBrown

Awright yew maggots, get those caps lock keys down and give me 10KLOC NOW! --JimPerry

Hell no! We won't code!

Hmmm, can't go to Canada to avoid that draft. And if it comes to be, probably can't go anywhere. --KielHodges

Yeah, after thinking about it more I realize it's just scary enough to actually happen. Definitely shades of Joe Haldeman's TheForeverWar? here... -- KyleBrown

For comprehensive, frequently-updated, and largely rational Y2k info, one might want to consider Peter de Jager's excellent site at http://www.year2000.com. --RonJeffries

On a tangent, the site claims as of Jan 1, 2000 at 3pm that bidding for possesion of the domain, year2000.com, is $10 000 000. Doncha just love the internet?

"U.K. navy computers unchecked for millennium bug" they said: http://www5.mercurycenter.com/breaking/docs/011791.htm

I'm trying not to think where that may fit in on the YtwokUpdate scale.

OK, so there's this launch computer. It hangs in a loop looking for two keys to be turned or for time to run backwards. Suddenly it goes from Dec 31 1999 to Jan 1 1900. Time has run backward! Time to launch missiles! I don't think so. --RonJeffries

There is only one time in my life that I can look back upon and be very glad I procrastinated. For a CS degree the university required a section of COBOL. I put it off until the last term and viola! They dropped the requirement before I had to take it.

Have fun in the brigade. I'll keep the C++ running outside.

-- MichaelFeathers

If we get to the heavy end of the YtwokUpdate scale there might be considerable competition to get into the Cobol Brigade. "... in the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, 'Make us your slaves, but feed us.'" -- Dostoevsky

And if you are unlucky enough to be force-fed a skill you don't want to use, remember: Never put on your resume' something you don't want to do.

CategoryYtwok