Jim Regan - Site Reviews
Everything 2000
|
The building up and the counting down to the faux millennium (of course we know the 21st century really starts in January of 2001) will, like matter and anti-matter, meet in a moment of mutual annihilation, and nothing will remain but the inevitable advertising tie-ins and the potential computer malfunctions. (Finally, we'll learn whether the Y2K bug will mean the end of civilization, or simply the overcooking of microwave popcorn.) In the meantime, keeping track of the events, organizations, prophecies, products and people devoted to this rather arbitrary milestone will require time, effort, and dedicated research. Or, if you'd rather not bother with all that, visits to Everything 2000.
At first glance, E2000 resembles an online news site, albeit a specialized one, with recent developments dominating the opening page, while an index provides access to the other categories of information available -- starting, logically enough, with "Events." Here, the team has gathered details about and links to millennium events worldwide, from the Great Barrier Reef Millennium Party in Queensland, Australia, to Greenwich 2000 (for those who'd rather meet the New Year on the Prime Meridian). Other areas catalog religious, environmental, peace-oriented, and apocalyptic millennial movements, as well as some hopeful space colonizers, and the reflections of a few citizens old enough to have witnessed the last changeover from '99 to '00.
Of course, the only things on the planet for which the rollover to '00 isn't a purely subjective matter are the computers. (Mac owners, allow yourselves a moment of smug satisfaction.) E2000 has gathered an extensive collection of millennium bug links, from the obvious -- such as how to determine your own computer's vulnerability and a worldwide listing of 'solutions providers' -- to conferences, survivalists, and even information on the legal implications of Y2K malfunctions.
If you need a reminder of how little time you have to get your computer ready, E2000 also provides a selection of 'countdown clocks'. Choices include online, downloadable, and screensaver versions -- and for the truly optimistic, a clock that on January 1st will begin counting down to the Third millennium. (Book those hotel rooms now.)
Perhaps the most revealing part of the site concerns applications filed with the US Trademark Office. The pressing need for an 'official' softdrink, or sneaker, of the millennium is, of course, self-evident, and there are already applications filed for an Official Millennial Burger, Airline, and Writing Instrument, but some applications raise unique questions.
Why is there an Official Brick of the Millennium? Who is the Official Guy of the New Millennium? And, how does the Official Sponsor of the Millennium, sponsor the Millennium? (We can only hope this company doesn't withdraw its sponsorship in the next few months, and leave us trapped forever in 1999.) Sadly, the owners of very few of these trademarks are revealed, so although we do know that Renuzit is the Official Air Freshener of the New Millennium, the Official Brick remains, for now, a mystery. Even without naming names, though, the lists provide an entertaining insight into Madison Avenue's fixation with 'branding,' and into how little such titles actually mean.
Everything 2000 has recently gone through an enormously beneficial redesign. I had in fact considered mentioning the site a few times in the past, but visits always convinced me otherwise. After fighting through inexcusably long downloads (made worse by the fact that the pages would insist on loading twice) and pages that frequently choked the browser to the point of requiring a 'force quit,' I couldn't in good conscience inflict that kind of aggravation on others. Well, that's entirely cured now, downloads are swift and smooth, and although the site's name might not be literally accurate, it's as close to everything millennial as you're going to find in one spot.
(And keep visiting. Through 2000, the site will continue to cover the approach of the real millennium.)
Everything 2000 can be found at http://www.everything2000.com/.
Jim Regan provides 'Today's Links' to the e-Monitor. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.