Here is a collection of responses to our "Y2K home page" joke. Within each area, the comments are presented in the order received. In the case of messages where people obviously missed the joke, we have taken the liberty of removing any identifying information. (In case you're curious: in all but one case, the people who didn't get it were members of the CWRU community.)
From: < d e l e t e d >
Hi, Check the "Most Wired College" in the left-bottom of CWRU homepage. It should be 1999 rather than 1899!
From: < d e l e t e d >
I just thought I'd say that I really don't like to new "Country Western" motif for the web page. It looks rather stupid for a great engineering school such as ourselves to look like we're living in the 1900's. The page definately needed a new look, but I think this was a step backwards, not forwards.
From: Ron Blanton
I enjoyed it. More than I can say, so I'll close. R. Blanton
From: < d e l e t e d >
The colors of the new home pabe are hideous! As are the colors of the Cleveland Browns.
From: < d e l e t e d >
It looks terrible! More consideration should be put into changing it back to the old color scheme. What does brown have to do with CWRU??? The front page looks like frontier land! It looks less official than before.
From: Sarah Buxbaum
Too funny!
From: John Lindley
awesome joke! I had to do a double take on the 1899 date stamp.. I almost fell for it the first time I loaded the page.
From: Justin Morgan
The main page rocks!! I love it!! heh Jan. 1, 1900. Beautiful!!
From: < d e l e t e d >
YOu have an embarrassing Y2K bug on the current events window on the sidebar on the main CWRU web page. It lists events for 1900. At least the server is working.
From: < d e l e t e d >
Guys, Considering you are wanting to consider yourself a research institution, why is your computer reading 1900? I know you are aware of the problem, but... Just thought I would make fun...sorry!
From: Amy Sheldon
I love the CWRU home page. You guys are great.
From: David Bertanni
What happened to the 'old-fashioned' looking web page? That didn't last very long. I rather liked it, especially the old photographs of Case. (Please let me know if I didn't send this to the appropriate person.)
From: Shirley Shoda
I logged in on New Years Day. It was a pleasant surprise to see the 1900 photos and captions. Thanks for taking the time to give us something different and timely... Shirley Shoda University Registrar's Office
From: Clark Gaylord
Good job with your site. ROTFL. I notice that when you moved it off the main site thedate went back to 1999, instead of 1899. Now another nice touch would have been if the stories were also from what happened in 1900 ... what a smart web site you would have had then, eh? :-) Still, the pics, layout, etc were a great job. Please keep it up! Clark Gaylord Virginia Tech
From: Deb Ernsberger
I loved the Y2k joke! The old photos were really great, too. Deb Ernsberger, MSASS, '99
From: Robert
I love your Y2K page! I have no idea if it's a joke or not, but I love how you took the problem and made the best of it. Thanks for the laughs...I hope you archive that page! Robert
From: virginia benade
I am a dial-in user (widow of an Emeritus Professor of Physics). I checked out my computer about half-past midnight of a quiet at-home greeting of the New Year with my new (since July) husband, and everything was behaving well. I then decided to make sure my connection to CWRU was OK, and was startled to be greeted by the sepia-toned 'Y2K-faulty' home page. Guilford House was the picture, and it looks much the same today, so I briefly bit on the sober but brief announcement about a Y2K problem. Then I spotted the Most-Wired Award date, and I began to laugh! What a great idea! I enjoyed the several little details. So I want to congratulate whoever came up with this and brought it to fruition. I quickly e-mailed several relatives who are computer professionals to take a look, and a few other friends too. I suspected that the joke would not be accessible for long, but thought it might be visible until Monday morning. When I found it already disappeared yesterday, I was sad I hadn't saved a copy, so am glad others must have urged you to make it available to those on campus and elsewhere who might appreciate it. So thanks for the amusement in the early hours of the new century (you think it is fun for you? think of how you would feel even more excited if you were, as I am, 74!). And I also thank you for the chance to enjoy it again and share it with a few friends and family. Wishing you INS people a Happy and Bright and Trouble-Free New Year! Sincerely, Virginia Benade
From: (nowhere@loopback.com)
Very impressive! The most wired school of 1899, and a home page dating from January 1900! CWRU *is* ahead of the curve! ;)
From: < d e l e t e d >
You are showing Jan 2, 1900 as your latest date. Get with it!
From: Toni Searle
Hi there, Eric! I just had to drop you a line about the "new" CWRU home page! Too cute!!! Congrats to all of you at DMS who conceived the idea & developed the graphics!!!
From: andy dunbar
I dread to think how much work you put into that - only to be told to take it down so quick. Never mind - it amused me at least! (hope you've got something good planned for the next one - you've got a thousand years to think about it...)
From: Dave Monk
nice job to the web page people. that is hilarious. you guys rule.
From: Rob Falck
about the web page, i agree, good job to whoever put that together
From: Paul Schneider
The web page is perhaps one of the funniest things I've seen around CWRU in a long while. Good job!
From: I Am Not An Isp
Everyone I know think it rox. Great job. :) TTFN, patrick
From: Lloyd Taylor
Peter, I hope that you'll share some of the best bits, if not to NANOG, then perhaps privately. Your page is truly a masterpiece! Check out www.evote.com for another cute parody. --Lloyd
From: Roeland M.J. Meyer
I actually LIKE the look and feel! Good job!
From: Adam McKenna
My favorite was: "Headlines updated 28 December 1899 " :) --Adam
From: Jamie Dyer
Really clever. Thanks for da chuckle. HNY, jamie dyer bitslinger/caffeine thrall www.bnsi.net
From: Lynn W. Taylor
I enjoyed it.... Thanks! -- Lynn
From: Dan Foster
After the original home page is restored -- will the fun site be archived online somewhere, I hope? -Dan
From: Patrick Mulrooney
I thought it was great. :-)
-pat
From: Daniel Golding
Kudos on your web site, Peter! Nice to see that CWRU has a sense of humor about this stuff!!
From: David Waitzman
I think that the 1900 design is better looking than the 2000 design. nice job. -david
From: Scott Bradner
well, I thout it was a great spoof - thanks for the giggle Scott