From BYTE Magazine, July 1998:

Y2K and You

Besides keeping your enterprise going, you need to pay attention to your own personal survival through the year 2000. Here are some tips, adapted from material by Capers Jones, chairman of Software Productivity Research (Burlington, MA).

Paper Trail

Keep bills, receipts, and balance reports for several months before 2000. Keep paper printouts of computer-based financial information.

"00" Shotgun

Realize that any weird bill or notice involving the year "00" or anything 99 years overdue is a Y2K glitch. Start dialing. After 2000, check your credit report to ensure there are no 99-year-old debts listed.

Bank Check

Toward the end of 1999, query your banks, brokers, and other financial institutions about their Y2K-compliance status. Be clear about what account are -- and are not -- insured by the FDIC, and for how much.

Stock Tick

Think about which investments Y2K might impact, for better or for worse. Remember that December 1999 will see record trading volumes, and probably panicky selling.

Utility Hookup

Find out about compliance by your local telephone, water, gas and electric companies. Get a heating-oil delivery in December. Plan on the possibility of losing electric power altogether, or experiencing lower voltages or frequencies; either have uninterruptible power sources for computer equipment or turn it off.

Drug Run

Refill your prescription medications before 2000, and forgo pharmacy-compliance issues.

Check Stubs

Examine paychecks carefully during 1999 and 2000 for correct tax and social-security withholding amounts and time-based raises.

Working Hard

Make sure automated security systems at work won't lock you out and elevators won't keep you grounded. Find out if computer and network security passwords will time-out in 2000.

ATM Attack

Keep some money available in the form of cash or traveler's checks.

Get Involved

Raise the question of Y2K compliance with local governments and school systems. Inquire about plans, costs, and sources for funds.

Business of Government

Renew your driver's license and automobile registration and transact any other government-related business before 2000.

Take Off

Check for FAA, airline and rail-travel announcements about Y2K compliance during the last few months of 1999. Check with travel agents and airlines for correct arrival and departure times, especially if traveling overseas.

Tank Up

Fill up your gas tank before December 31, 1999, in case electric power or credit-card processing shuts down.

Home Computing

Check out the status of your own computer system with the many free utilities that are available. Find out about the compliance of your software. Back up your system before 2000. Keep a paper printout of any contacts and schedules that you keep on the computer

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