# The legend of Y2K

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 1, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394 "2000-01-01T14:33:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394/1 "2000-01-01T14:33:00Z")

</div>

How will this almost non-event that was hyped into a big hairy ass deal be remembered by history? Will history buffs 90 years from mow look on us as we looked back on people who bought devices to protect them from “comet gas?”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394/2 "2000-01-01T14:39:00Z")

</div>

Well…I prefer to think that all the hype got things fixed.

* * *

If you can’t convince them, confuse them.  
Harry S. Truman

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394/3 "2000-01-01T14:52:00Z")

</div>

You’re right, all the _work_ that computer and other technical people did prevented major problems but I’m talking about overblown hype like people paying double price to get generators and survivalists talk of revolution when “Klinton” imposes martial law.

Followup question, what is the most outrageous Y2K snake oil you’ve seen?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394/4 "2000-01-01T15:38:00Z")

</div>

A sign at the store that said ANY y2k stuff is NOT returnable today.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legend-of-y2k/12394/5 "2000-01-01T16:07:00Z")

</div>

Were there people gathering for a Rapture-style event, anywhere in the world? I’m curious. Someone on this board (the name & thread title are escaping me right now) was talking about one of her co-workers being absolutely positive that this was IT. I wonder if there were suicides & stuff, because of people being so totally sure that last night was the end of the world.

Anyone know? I even checked Art Bell’s site, and he doesn’t have anything interesting up yet, except for some glitch reports.