GORDON LIGHTFOOT | National
TOLD YOU!
Ken the cockroach, the face of the Y2K bug campaign in New Zealand in the 90s, is feeling good today.
In 1999 the world was struck with the fear that all computer systems would go haywire when the year changed over to 2000. There was an apocalyptic feel in the air, which ultimately turned out to be a massive fizzer.
Yesterday however, outages were experienced globally for banks, airlines, and supermarket payment systems, causing significant delays.
Having been the subject of ridicule and disappearing from public view when the Y2K panic came to nothing, Ken the cockroach took to social media to bathe in self-perceived glory.
“See! I told you the world was gonna get hit by Y2K! Just a little bit later than expected!” he wrote on his Facebook page, ignoring the fact that the year 2000 was a full 24 years ago.
“I bet all you idiots haven’t even stocked up on tinned food and AA batteries,” he added, commenting on his post.
Ken the cockroach, who had turned to alcohol since his national humiliation, told our reporters that he will be getting off the booze and back into his mission.
“This is just the start. There’s going to be more system failures and people are counting on me to spread the word about being prepared for Y2K.
“We might get through this one okay, but it’s a warning. Make sure you’ve got everything you need ahead of Y2K. Batteries, torches, radios. Don’t get caught out,” he said as he finished off his beer.
Ken would not say whether he would be rebranding “Y2K” to something more current.
More to come.
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