http://www.brunet.bn/news/bb/mon/world/jan3w10.htm

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2000

Gambia hit by Y2K problems

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The small West African nation of Gambia emerged Saturday as the only country in the world seriously affected by power outages and other disruption, some of which could be traced to the millennium computer bug, Y2K monitors said.

Significant power outages were evident in the Gambian energy sector, while major or significant disruptions crippled air and sea transportation, the financial sector and government services, reported the Washington-based International Y2K Cooperation Center, which assembled data from 118 nations.

The center pointed out, however, that the power outages were not Y2K-related and the problems in the other sectors could not be blamed entirely on the computer bug.

Failures have been reported in the Gambian Treasury Department, the national tax service and at the Customs Service, according to the center.

Experts attribute the problems to a delay in international assistance promised to Gambia to prepare for Y2K.

Gambia declared Monday, January 3, a non-working day to reduce pressure on its crippled services.

Meanwhile, the center said it is "working with Gambia to help resolve this problem" and urged the World Bank to provide assistance in re-establishing the affected services.

Y2K Center Director Bruce McConnell warned that while "no significant problem" was reported around the world on the first day of the new millennium, disruptions could occur in coming days.

"We are not out of the woods," said McConnell. "We will remain vigilant over the coming days and into January."

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), January 04, 2000

Answers

Mali, Gambia; yikes can Indiana be far behind?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), January 04, 2000.

The center pointed out, however, that the power outages were not Y2K-related and the problems in the other sectors could not be blamed entirely on the computer bug.

Experts attribute the problems to a delay in international assistance promised to Gambia to prepare for Y2K.

Wish they could get their story straight....

-- Netghost (ng@no.yr), January 04, 2000.

Gambia had a computer problem? They must've left one or both of them unplugged ;)

-- Just (anotherbuckeye@columbus.org), January 04, 2000.

I think it WAS two computers... A TRS-80 Model I for financial and government services, and a Commodore C-64 for contolling the energy sector.

-- Mikey (mikeylee@tampabay.rr.com), January 04, 2000.

Mikey, be good and go back to your room.

ROTFLM fingers O I can barely type.

-- Dana (A_Non_O_Moose@xxx.com), January 04, 2000.

It's obvious that arrogance doesn't care what pain is inflicted to people who are, "far away" and living in, "insignificat" lands.

For your information, problems in other lands don't have to be compared to problems in the US. If you had ever traveled (or bothered to get educated) you would know that. Many of us have been to these places and have friends there. SO FUCK OFF! Make your US-Centric jokes somewhere else.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), January 04, 2000.

Ditto. Having 5% of the population doesn't give you carte blanche to assume that anything that happens outside your borders is insignificant. Remind me not to shed a tear if your gas goes up to $5.35 a gallon.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), January 05, 2000.

FWIW:

Picturing a "Trash-80" as a mainframe is a hysterical image regardless of whether the box is running the USDA or the Gambian Department of Agriculture.

As one who lived for a year in a third world country I do wish that I had been sensitive in my post. Lashes well deserved.

-- Dana (A_Non_O_Moose@xxx.com), January 05, 2000.