Keep up-to-date on Y2K

One of the most important things you can do to stay motivated about Y2K preparations is to stay informed. Let’s face it: preparing for Y2K requires a significant commitment.

I have watched many people slip back into denial after beginning preparations. Why? Because they failed to stay informed and, based on a trickle of genuinely good Y2K news and a flood of Y2K spin, became complacent.

If all the news were really positive and Y2K was substantially fixed, then perhaps we could stop preparing or at least reduce the scope of our preparations. But I don’t think that’s the case at all.

Based on my continued research on Y2K, I still believe we are at significant risk for disruptions on Jan. 1. (In fact, we will likely see some well before that date.) As a result, I have intensified my own personal preparations rather than allowing myself to slow down.

The way that I stay motivated is by staying informed. And the way I stay informed is by reading about Y2K progress daily. Here’s my daily routine:

• I begin by checking the latest news clippings on Peter de Jager’s Year 2000 site. These articles represent the news media’s perspective, and I always read them with a grain of salt — sometimes a tablespoon full. I generally only read the articles that promise to deliver new information. I don’t bother reading the hundreds of iterations of the same story that appear across the country in various papers.
• Next, I read some balanced, Y2K commentary from people who are the most informed about Y2K. My favorite sites are Sanger’s Review of Y2K News Reports and Westergaard 2000. I think Y2KNewsWire is also important. You can read just the headlines with click-through links on the main page or read the daily commentary by signing up for Y2K Alert. I also always read the articles on Gary North’s site. I say this without apology. I may not always agree with Dr. North, but I always find him stimulating. (By the way, if you bookmark his newest links page, you can see just the most recent articles.)
• Finally, I check the Y2K Prep Discussion Group forums. This is a great way to keep up with what others in our online community are saying. Sometimes, I get great information and tips from my readers. You can, too.

If you will bookmark these sites, you will find that you can review the news very quickly. If you don’t want to wade through this much material daily, WorldNetDaily’s Y2K countdown page provides a good wrap-up of the news. For a weekly summary of Y2K news, head to my site; it’s quick, easy, and efficient. (We select the 20 or so most significant stories of the week and summarize them with click-through links to the original articles.)