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CORVALLIS - The Oregon State University Extension Service has established a statewide, public web site on how to quash the so-called "Y2K" or "millennium bug."

The information, for Oregonians ranging from small farm operators, to manufacturers and business leaders to family members, is at: http://osu.orst.edu/extension/y2k/.

Also, OSU Extension offices in counties around the state have a "Y2K Jump Start Kit." A CD in the kit contains free software for performing tests that can reveal whether a computer will have a problem with "recognizing" dates after Dec. 31, 1999.

The OSU Extension Service is cooperating with the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership to offer the on-line Y2K information to the public at no charge, according to Rick Eckel, an OSU Extension information specialist.

Small farms or businesses are more likely than large operations, which may have teams of Y2K experts, to have outdated equipment or programming where the millennium bug could lurk, Eckel said.

The statewide Y2K Web site has three OSU publications Oregonians can download at no charge: "Preparing Your Family for Emergencies," "Coping with Power Failures," and a brochure titled "Y2K Common Questions" that explains how to reach county Extension offices for more information.