This issue of Time, published January 18, 1999, is an indication of the public fears about Y2K. The front cover reads: “The End of the World!?! Y2K insanity! Apocalypse Now! Will computers melt down? Will society? A guide to MILLENNIUM MADNESS.” Stories inside the magazine query whether Y2K will signal the end of the world and discuss how “computers [got] into this mess” in the first place.
Don’t Get Caught with a Pack of Cigarettes and a Forty Ounce
Yet another publication on the various problems and solutions associated with Y2K, this “personal guide to the Y2K situation” published in 1999 sought to reach the underprivileged. The introduction states, “We as a people have many obstacles to contend with such as institutional racism, economic disparity, lack of parity and the list goes on. One of the last things on our list of priorities is the possibility of technological mayhem. So we decided to put together a guide for you to follow…to make your life a little easier going into the next century.”
Y2K Connections
There were many different responses to the pending Y2K crisis. One of the more unusual was the creation of the Y2K Connections card game, whose slogan was “Building Community – Not Crises.” The purported goal of the game was to build relationships that would better weather the consequences of Y2K than people could do individually. Players were instructed to respond to potential Y2K scenarios such as “The telephone system is down, no one knows for how long. How could you check to see if your mother is okay?”
Y2K and You
Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the federal government created the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion. Addressed primarily to consumers and discussing possible consumer-related Y2K problems and solutions, this brochure was one of the council’s products.
Action Y2K: A GrassRoots Guide to Year 2000 and Beyond…
This book is one of many published guides to potential Y2K solutions. This particular volume briefly discusses the origins and history of the Y2K problem and then lists potential issues and resolutions for communities, for businesses, and for individuals.
Y2K Kitchen: The Book
A woman named Sally Strackbein put together this book, which included, among other tips, recipes that someone could make without using refrigerated or spoilable ingredients. She was preparing for the possibility that Y2K might disrupt the nation’s food supply.
Leading the Way to Y2K!
Y2K Community Conversations were guided by the federal government. Citizens were asked to organize meetings help their neighbors understand and make decisions about Y2K. Conversations could be “organized as a town hall meeting, an educational seminar, or part of an ongoing church group forum.”
A Year 2000 Action Guide – Minnesota Cities
This report was published by the League of Minnesota Cities in 1998. It was a guide to Minnesota member cities (including several near the Twin Cities, such as Wayzata, Bloomington, and Plymouth) on how to prepare for Y2K at the city government level.
