Looking back at the millenium change

Dave Winer writes. _Two years ago we were contemplating a new millennium. “It’s like a graduation, but on a global scale. There’s never been anything like it. It’s never happened before, and in our lives it will never happen again. If you screw it up you won’t get another chance. So play it safe and assume everyone means well, and let it go at that.” [Scripting News]

I didn’t expect that things would go poorly on January 1, 2000. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play a good practical joke: we held a New Year’s Party, hooked up all of the lights (and the TV set!) to X10 home control interfaces and, as the ball touched down in New York, I clicked a button that turned everything off. There was dead silence as everyone stood there for a few seconds… Then I said “Just kidding!” and turned it all back on. I’m glad I didn’t miss that chance.