I don't know; for several years afterwards it seemed to be a given that it was a real thing, and efforts to avoid disaster were well directed and successful and

I don't know; for several years afterwards it seemed to be a given that it was a real thing, and efforts to avoid disaster were well directed and successful and that IT folks "did the world a solid". I choose to take it as a (rather dispiriting) lesson about humanity that only ~20 years later there's such scepticism. Certainly explains why the cranks cast doubt on moon landings and other historical events.