The following is an email I received from a programmer friend of mine who was just fired this past week. He gave me permission to repost it here as long as I didn't use his name and I deleted his ex-company's name (he still has friends in the organization):

"I was let go this week from nearly four years at [NAME DELETED-company has more than 4,000 locations operating worldwide in 60 countries], a company that falls so short of Y2K compliance that its main royalty reporting system still has two-digit numeric field years scattered thru 350 FoxPro DOS PRG files! I was an outspoken Senior FoxPro and Visual Basic programmer. The consultant tasked with fixing our Y2K problems started about a month ago and has been finding getting the cooperation he needs to fix them very difficult. The problem receives a very minor focus from the CIO."

Can anyone say "Fix-on-Failure"? Actually, it will probably be "Die-on-Failure"...

-- Nabi (nabi7@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999

Answers

Nabi,

Great work...can you at least name the industry or industry type?

-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), October 17, 1999.

On a guess either entertainment or fossil fuels with the money going down on Fossil Fuels.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 17, 1999.

RC & Chuck,

I can't say too much, but I will say it's in the transportation industry. My friend is planning on trying to talk to the CEO about the problem, and he feels he will be more likely to get through to him if he hasn't torched the reputation and stock value of the parent company:-)...

-- Nabi (nabi7@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.

He is just a disgruntled employee. He's lieing because I know through sources that everythings going to be A-OK. If you just quit thinking about this Y2K thing it will go away. You'll see!! I also predict that the stock market will end up 300 points for the week next week. Just think positive and it will go away. I think Mr. Decker is one fine individual and you should all listen to him because he has this thing pegged.

-- The Future Is Bright !! (Y2K@OK.future), October 17, 1999.

That's right! Don't be so negative. If you'd all just think positive nothing would happen.

-- it will be (negative@thinking's.fault), October 17, 1999.

Thanks for sharing what you can, Nabi. It's hard to figure why a company in such imminently catastrophic shape would fire a senior programmer...that lends credibility to your friend's perception of a clueless CIO. Judging by the size of this company, is your friend going to mostly address contingency planning with the CEO? It's much too late for anything else.

Please tell him/her best of luck with the upcoming meeting. Perhaps if no headway is made, you will get permission to reveal a bit more about the nature of the company's business?

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), October 17, 1999.