No Deal Brexit and Millenium Bug are NOT the Same!

[KennDodd]

Ffs. Why would somebody even think that?

Anyway, aibu to be frustrated by this?

[TeenTimesTwo]

YANBU.
The Y2K issue was well understood by those that needed to understand it (dates with 2 digits, so 2000 might get misunderstood to be 1900),
and the concept of how to avoid problems was simple (fix the s/w so dates had 4 digits).
The solution was time consuming, but just needed 100s of computer professionals around the world to check all their source code.

Brexit on the other hand is a myriad of unknowns. Including the conditions under which we are due to leave in a few week's time. There of course will have been planning, but decoupling from EU agreements to an unknown state is way more complicated than Y2K.

[derxa]

You could compare it to a number of events from that time that people thought the world was going to end because the Mayan clock came to an end to princess Diana death and the ott public mourning and totally innaproptiate and disproportionate grief. It’s the group think element that they are picking up on is all.
My DH was one of the people who did work on Y2K . No deal Brexit is similar in that we don't know exactly what will happen. It is different in that we are woefully ill prepared for Brexit. I am not one for hysteria though. The above comment angered me because Diana's death was a tragic event and people were deeply moved by it. Of course it's cool on here to sneer about it. I miss Diana. The world was better with her in it.

[Wonderbag]

Thanks doireallyneedto.
It makes some sense. It’s things like the EU charter of fundamental rights, safety laws etc that worry me - or rather, the unscrupulous people or businesses who may take advantage of the weak spot while legislation is still to be put in place.

[Anniegetyourgun]

I was just downloading a game earlier today and, sad git that I am, read the whole terms and conditions before clicking Accept. There was a lot in there about if you're in the US, this law applies, whilst if you're in the EU, that law applies. If you're in neither, it said in not quite so many words, you're on yer own matey. And it occurred to me, when we're not in the EU all these licence agreements will have to be covered separately by UK law as well, or won't be covered at all. Just one more thing that needs doing that we don't have the time or manpower to do in ONE FUCKING MONTH. Brexit doesn't have to be the end of civilisation as we know it, but they sure aren't going about it in a way that will maximise success.

Re the Y2K comparison, it's almost the opposite actually. There was all the whipped up panic in the papers about planes falling out of the sky etc, which did not in the end happen due, as you say, to excellent forward planning. But in the present day, most of the papers seem to be keen to reassure us there will be no problem come March 29th. We don't need a plan, we just need freedom, it will all be fine... However, if May were to have a sudden brainstorm and actually do the sensible thing, i.e. postpone leaving for a couple of years until things were properly worked out, there would be much fury and calls for revolution. The Will of the People (how I loathe that phrase) is being arrogantly thwarted, and all that jazz.

[doIreallyneedto]

@Wonderbag - It would be comforting to hear that new laws etc are in place for protection though. So we know we’re covered by safety standards, maternity rights etc when we leave.

It depends on whether the laws are based on directives or regulations. Directives require member states to enact national legislation to implement them. They have some flexibility in how they are enacted. The law is already a British law so would require the UK government to change it. An example of that would be consumer rights. A regulation is enacted throughout the EU as is (e.g. standards for goods in the EU). There is no flexibility within member states. I think that these would no longer automatically apply post-Brexit unless it is agreed by the UK.

Maternity rights are covered by the directive so they are enacted in British law. Some safety standards are covered by a directive that requires compliance with EU standards so again, I think this would require legislation to change them.

So basically, the laws currently governing most of these things are UK laws and will remain in place unless explicitly changed. Provided you trust your government not to change them, you're fine......

[Wonderbag]

To many people, losing jobs is a bit more worrying than ‘inconvenience’

[GregoryPeckingDuck]

It’s gsrdlybthe end of the work either (which is what many people seem to be thinking). Surely the parallel is pretty clear. Minor inconvenience with the potential of causing long term inconvenience blown out of all proportion.

[Wonderbag]

It would be comforting to hear that new laws etc are in place for protection though. So we know we’re covered by safety standards, maternity rights etc when we leave.
There are plenty of charlatans will take advantage of the gap if they can.

[doIreallyneedto]

@Boyskeepswinging - But, hey, having different memories of the same event is hardly unusual.

That is true. Living, working and socialising in different areas/social groups will also impact on the attitudes you're exposed to at the time which will in turn affect your reality.

[doIreallyneedto]

@GregoryPeckingDuck - So the people who think there is no life of economic prosperity outside the EU are I’ll infirmed?

Of course not. However, crashing out of all trade deals with nothing to immediately replace them is hardly a recipe for economic prosperity.

[Boyskeepswinging]

I'm in my mid-50's so remember it quite clearly
Me too and I have never read the tabloid press. But, hey, having different memories of the same event is hardly unusual.

[Rufusthebewilderedreindeer]

On it

Not in it

[Uptheapplesandpears]

The thing is, if you're trying to make a parallel between something that was averted because of a carefully considered and lengthy strategy executed by experts and something we need to avert where none of this is the case, you might need a new parallel.

[GregoryPeckingDuck]

So the people who think there is no life of economic prosperity outside the EU are I’ll infirmed? If anything the mere fact that the majoirty of remainders were raised in the EU would suggest otherwise. Most people who have lived outside the EU look on the public tears and melodramatics with bemusement.

[Rufusthebewilderedreindeer]

To be honest boys i don't remember being told it was the end of civilisation

I remember being told what the problems might be and that people were working init

I certainly wouldn't have bothered turning up to that new years eve party if i thought it would be the end of the world

[StealthPolarBear]

Tha k you op. I've been silently screaming this in my head all day

[doIreallyneedto]

@Boyskeepswinging - We were told it would be the end of civilisation on 31st December.

Only if your main source of news was the tabloid press.

I'm in my mid-50's so remember it quite clearly. I don't know anyone who thought it would be the end of civilisation on 31st December and, while some were involve in the software industry, most weren't.

[MissGiddyPants]

Yay. Another Leave bashing thread.

🍇

[Boyskeepswinging]

The mass hysteria was only from ill-informed and/or gullible people, with a tendency towards melodrama and who mainly gathered news from tabloids
Er, no it really wasn't. Amazing how history gets rewritten after less than 20 years!

[doIreallyneedto]

@GregoryPeckingDuck - I think they just mean in terms of the mass hysteria.

The mass hysteria was only from ill-informed and/or gullible people, with a tendency towards melodrama and who mainly gathered news from tabloids. Most people realised that a lot of work was being done to prevent problems and, while there might be some small issues, most would be dealt with in advance.

Those claiming the similarity between Y2K and no deal brexit are showing a remarkable similarity to those ill-informed people.

[Boyskeepswinging]

desperately trying to think what makes something experts worked on and planned for a good few years in advance the same as something where experts were deliberately not involved, no work or planning took place, and lions were led by donkeys... nah, simply cant do it
But we weren't told this was happening. We were told it would be the end of civilisation on 31st December.

The parallel I, and others, have tried to make is the level of mass hysteria. Obviously the reasons for the hysteria are different.

[AornisHades]

YANBU. Two digit dates could easily have caused chaos. It didn't because code was checked and fixed over a long period of time.

[Boyskeepswinging]

I think they just mean in terms of the mass hysteria
Exactly this. I have been flamed a number of times for saying there was mass hysteria leading up to Y2K. Posters pile in saying they/their DH/their friend was working on the Y2K project for years before and it was all under control. To which I say, great, but us mere civilians did not know this. The press was on Project Fear Overload and remember social media had not really evolved then so the mainstream press were most people's source of news.

[yolofish]

hahaha! desperately trying to think what makes something experts worked on and planned for a good few years in advance the same as something where experts were deliberately not involved, no work or planning took place, and lions were led by donkeys... nah, simply cant do it.

[Rufusthebewilderedreindeer]

YANBU