You see, most folks don't understand what the Y2K problem was (well, not in enough detail to be able to figure out where the problems might be). So people thought up this nifty "Y2K Compliance" thing. Slap the label on, and nobody needs to know anything more. Everyone can disengage their brains, because mentally everything is in the "problem solved" bucket.
Regulations are like that, almost all the time. Most people don't particularly care about the issues, they just want to be able to tick the box. This explains why most government regulations are a waste of time.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that most regulations have a core problem, and that at some point someone who actually understood that problem thought up the regulation. The problem is that the regulations get handed off to the private sector to comply with, and nobody in the private sector really cares about the original problem.
The care about the check box.
And the regulation now is enforced by a bunch of bureaucrats who don't understand the original problem, either - they're just looking to make sure that the check box was checked.
In other words, nobody understands the original problem anymore, and nobody cares. All anyone is trying to do is avoid blame: Hey, we were compliant. What more do you want?
Now add in that the chances of getting someone at a government agency (or God forbid, in Congress) to actually understand the original problem, and craft a well thought out regulation addressing it, and you can pretty well kiss any chance of solving the actual problem goodbye.
But lots of people are employed in the private sector in Corporate Governance teams, and in government agencies, all being busy checking and re-checking the boxes.
And so, let me say definitively: this blog is entirely Y2K compliant. It even has a nifty checkbox graphic logo that I stole somewhere on Al Gore's Intarwebz. So relax. Turn off your brain. All is for the best, in the best of all possible worlds.
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Exactly, and it's scary to think that's exactly what I'm dealing with at work right now.
ReplyDeleteYeOldFurt
As a government employee who has see a once outstanding agency morph into worst case bureaucracy over the last couple years, I soooo understand this. And want to cry...
ReplyDeleteThat attitude is permeating through society right now on so many different levels. It is one reason why we will never be able to get rid of obamacare.
ReplyDeleteobamacare was an answer to a perceived problem; and now that we have it, society thinks "problem fixed", lets move on.
Every liberal that I speak with regarding societies problems, starts with "today". They don't seem to understand that some of the problems started back in time; not just today! They can't understand why I always talk about the stupid decisions that obama made last year or the year before. The liberals are only interested in creating a solution with today's thinking. They can't seem to understand that a decision made years ago could be the problem of today.
And like you have so handily pointed out; all they want to do is "check the box". So they can then check out and go back to their facebook.
Steve
Thank goodness this blog is Y2K compliant. Now I can put it in my RSS reader without fear of the apocalypse. Thanks for taking the time to comply.
ReplyDeleteAndy, no need to thank me. It's all part of being a full service blog!
ReplyDeleteNow, about that ISO-9001 certification...
ReplyDeleteAndy, I'm planning on ISO 27000 first. Security, don't you know.
ReplyDeleteHow about ISO 60601-compliance? Are you ISO 60601-compliant?
ReplyDeleteRick C, the answer is proudly, no.
ReplyDelete;-)
Think of the bump in the unemployment figures if all the people whose only job is confirming the correct boxes are checked were suddenly let go.
ReplyDeleteGovernment regulations are a Jobs Program!
:)
Q
Did anyone actually try and run a mainframe complete with code and set the date to Jan 1st 2000? To see what happened.
ReplyDeleteAlso Sarbanes Oxley was worse to fix a problem with Upper executives meant that obviously the problem was with the proles in the workforce.
Ahh, the good old days of Y2K, I'm sort of nostalgic for that sort of problem.
ReplyDeleteThe funniest Y2K sticker placement I saw was on an ambulance stretcher. Yes, a completely mechanical, has nothing electric let alone electrical on it, stretcher.
Owned by an agency of the federal government, of course.