-Caveat Lector-
September 7, 1999
Microsoft, IBM, the White House:
Who Isn't in on This Conspiracy?
By REBECCA BUCKMAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
And you thought that cute year-2000 commercial from
Kia Motors America was tongue-in-cheek.
The television spot, which ran last month as part of the
Korean auto maker's "Yes to Kia" campaign, spoofed the
millennium computer-bug issue. It showed a Kia
spokesman at a news conference fielding the question,
"Is there a Y2K conspiracy?" The commercial suggested
culprits ranged from software companies to politicians.
Turns out the commercial tapped into some widespread
suspicions. According to an online public-opinion
survey conducted in July, 15% of Web users think "a
person and/or company is hiding the solution to the Y2K
bug." Of those, according to Greenfield Online Inc., a
market-research firm in Westport, Conn., 60% thought
the conspirator was software giant Microsoft Corp., and
33% blamed the White House.
"Wow," says Jack Gribben, a spokesman for the
President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, when
told of the results. "Rest assured, if there was a silver
bullet to solve the Y2K problem, and we knew about it,
we'd certainly be letting people know." Microsoft's
director of Y2K readiness couldn't be reached.
To be sure, Microsoft and the White House were on a
preselected list of answers provided to respondents,
who are part of Greenfield's vast base of Web-using
guinea pigs. Other suggested culprits chosen included
International Business Machines Corp. (30%),
independent computer consultants (33%), don't know
(22%) and other (8%). (Respondents could pick more
than one answer.)
The survey was large, with more than 10,000 people
responding. And the Internet-savvy people Greenfield
polls generally have somewhat higher incomes and
"slightly higher education" levels than the U.S.
population at large, says Gail Janensch, the firm's
director of public relations.
Tricia Rosen, Greenfield's product manager of digital
consumer research, says the results suggest that fear
about Y2K may be worse than previously thought. "I've
heard people think that Bill Gates has this big plan and
he's going to let the solution out on Nov. 30," says Ms.
Rosen. "We have someone in our company who has
purchased a generator."
She adds: "I think it's very surprising that 5% of people
think life will never be the same again, and 1% think the
world's going to end." Maybe. But 72% of respondents
said the millennium would bring only "small changes,"
and 85% thought "the hype about the year 2000 is
overblown."
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
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