410 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
410 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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From brian@ucsd.Edu Sun Sep 16 21:55:38 1990
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From: brian@ucsd.Edu (Brian Kantor)
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Subject: Re: USSR sites (was Re: computer museum)
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>From sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!mcvax!moskvax!kremvax!chernenko Sun Apr 1 11:02:52 1984
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdccsu3.UUCP
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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 4/1/83 (SU840401); site kremvax.UUCP
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Path: sdccsu3!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!mcvax!moskvax!kremvax!chernenko
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From: chernenko@kremvax.UUCP
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Newsgroups: net.general,net.politics
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Subject: USSR on Usenet
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Message-ID: <0001@kremvax.UUCP>
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Date: Sun, 1-Apr-84 11:02:52 PST
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Date-Received: Mon, 2-Apr-84 17:02:53 PST
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Organization: MIIA, Moscow
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Lines: 41
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<.....>
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Well, today, 840401, this is at last the Socialist Union of Soviet
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Republics joining the Usenet network and saying hallo to everybody.
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One reason for us to join this network has been to have a means of
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having an open discussion forum with the American and European people
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and making clear to them our strong efforts towards attaining peaceful
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coexistence between the people of the Soviet Union and those of the
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United States and Europe.
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We have been informed that on this network many people have given strong
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anti-Russian opinions, but we believe they have been misguided by their
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leaders, especially the American administration, who is seeking for war
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and domination of the world.
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By well informing those people from our side we hope to have a possibility
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to make clear to them our intentions and ideas.
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Some of those in the Western world, who believe in the truth of what we
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say have made possible our entry on this network; to them we are very
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grateful. We hereby invite you to freely give your comments and opinions.
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Here are the data for our backbone site:
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Name: moskvax
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Organization: Moscow Institute for International Affairs
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Contact: K. Chernenko
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Phone: +7 095 840401
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Postal-Address: Moscow, Soviet Union
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Electronic-Address: mcvax!moskvax!kremvax!chernenko
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News: mcvax kremvax kgbvax
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Mail: mcvax kremvax kgbvax
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And now, let's open a flask of Vodka and have a drink on our entry on
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this network. So:
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NA ZDAROVJE!
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--
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K. Chernenko, Moscow, USSR
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...{decvax,philabs}!mcvax!moskvax!kremvax!chernenko
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>From sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!mcvax!piet Sun Apr 15 13:53:11 1984
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdccsu3.UUCP
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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site mcvax.UUCP
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Path: sdccsu3!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!mcvax!piet
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From: piet@mcvax.UUCP
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Newsgroups: net.followup
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Subject: USSR on Usenet: The Mystery Unraveled
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Message-ID: <5779@mcvax.UUCP>
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Date: Sun, 15-Apr-84 13:53:11 PST
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Date-Received: Sun, 15-Apr-84 18:15:26 PST
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Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
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Lines: 298
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<..>
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Well then, here we are, two weeks after the Big Bang.
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Thanks to all of you, netpals, who replied to my "USSR on Usenet" article.
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Reading all your replies really made worth while the forging I had to do
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hide the real origin. There were only a few negative responses. So humour
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still prevails in this (net)world. 'Sorry' for those who took this April
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Fool so bloody serious...... (I got serious letters more than 3 pages long!)
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Thanks also to the people over here for the suggestions that eventually led
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to this article.
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Following is a summary of the responses, some of them with a comment.
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Not afraid to at last reveal the real source...
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Piet Beertema
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(piet@mcvax.UUCP)
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P.S. Sorry I had to explicitly state the date (twice) in the article body;
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otherwise it might have fooled more people; but the risk of the news
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software somewhere mangling the date in the header was just too bad).
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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***
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And April Fool to you too, Komrade!
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***
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Where is Reagan's opener? Does he have a terminal?
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(Can he use one? Wargames, perhaps? Encrypted mail?)
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(No, he can't: has to keep his fingers on the trigger...)
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***
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This isn't funny. I hope you get so much mail in response to this
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that you're reading it for a week straight. F**k you.
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(I did. And enjoyed it! Fuck me? Ain't no chick, pal. motss perhaps?)
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***
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Gee, I thought that every time Russia tried to buy a VAX, customs came
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along and filled the boxes with concrete.
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***
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get out of our network!!!
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***
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chto eto za govno? ya ne veryu to chto ya chitayu v pyervom
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aprelye.
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(Sorry, but my Russian isn't what is used to be.... Cherny.)
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***
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Hmmm, "kgbvax," I like that one. Enjoy.
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***
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Your message sounds like a prepared speech!
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(It sure was....!)
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***
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If your net contact is used as another channel for government-
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authored propaganda, not too many of us will be interested in
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reading your messages.
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***
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Many Americans will tend to dismiss your attitude as "typical Soviet
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xenophobia," and I warn you that you will manage to persuade very
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few people to change their minds (I tried some months ago to do so
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on the net, and gave up in disgust).
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***
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Do you have wombats in Mother Russia?
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***
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So let's open a bottle of Wild Turkey and celebrate this (he
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says modestly) historical event: CHEERS!!!
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***
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Gosh, does sending this letter put in the files of the CIA & KGB???
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(Sure bet! And don't forget the CWI!)
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***
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If you receive this, and the network doesn't send back an
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'unknown address' message to me, then you may not be kidding around,
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pulling everyone's leg.
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(it will, from now on)
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***
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Wow!
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Is this for real? Honest-to-god Russia? Gee. I never thought that I'd
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see it. Does this imply that Unix is behind the Iron curtain?
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(Isn't that where at least the encryption algorithm came from?)
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***
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Perhaps you are not aware, but the standard phrase "misguided by
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their leaders...seeking for war and domination of the world" is one of
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those things we have heard in those exact words so many times that
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it is a subject of humor to our comedians and satirical writers.
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(Well, how about this satirical writer?)
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***
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It will be interesting to see which newsgroups you wind up
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participating in.
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(net.nuclear and net.jokes....)
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***
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How cute! Where does this end up, anyway?
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(In my mailbox... Piet)
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***
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(Oh yeah... you forgot net.news.newsite :-) )
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(Sorry for that; can happen with a novice.... Cherny)
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***
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Very Clever April 1 ........
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***
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This sounds like a joke, but what the heck! Here we go:
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Welcome to the world of USENET. First, let me congratulate you on
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getting funds approved for your telephone expenses. It must be pretty
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expensive to read all this garbage that the net is flooded with every
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day. Are you actually typing from the Kremlin? Wow! I didn't think any
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information can get out of there without being thoroughly checked,
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approved, rechecked and all that, and that can take days! How long, I
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wonder will it be before I recieve your response to this mail? You will
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respond, won't you?
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(Of course...)
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***
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Welcome! [From an isolated CIA outpost]
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(Then why didn't you send your mail to 'kgbvax'.....?
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Actually no one did. Pity.)
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***
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>Is this for real? Can we have confirmation from someone who is
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>recognized as being in a position to know?
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It is indeed for real. I am in a position to know (supine).
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***
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I knew there was a path to the Russians on the net! Now at
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last we can exchange netnews messages about high school reunions
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and our latest cryptoanalytic results. Thank you eversomuch.
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***
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The posting date was April 1, which is generally what we call "April
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Fool's Day". Sometimes good practical jokes are played on that day.
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I have a strong feeling that USSR on the net is an April Fool's joke.
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(So do I...)
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***
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Hmmm.... I just wonder who 'kgbvax' is.... :-(
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(That's 'ciavax', only spelled eastward :-))
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***
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I'm the night operator and don't have any vodca so will
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a hot pot of coffee do... Well I better go back to work,
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just wanted to say HI and welcome.
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***
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Today is the April 1 1984, also known as the April Fool's day.
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Whose leg you are pulling? :-)
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(Netland's)
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***
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We in capitalist America have received your first message and
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one simple thought pops into the minds of many a capitalist
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computer interfacer such as myself: ARE YOU FOR REAL?
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Please reply. We in the "buying is being" world would like to
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know for sure if you exist.
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Also, how do you get vaxes? From Sweden, or South Africa?
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(From Malaysia, El Salvador, Indonesia etc.)
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***
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I am most pleased to see that our friends in Russia have joined
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the uucp network. Greetings (sorry I know no Russian).
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You will find the politics in Canada, or at least my politics,
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much less strident than many of the articles in usenet originating
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from the American Institutions.
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(...)
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***
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That was a nice April Fool's joke! How did you do it?
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(By spending a nice Sunday afternoon on this:
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1. change the sendmail configuration table to deflect all mails for
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"moskvax" to my mailbox;
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2. disable uucico;
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3. post the article;
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4. forge the article's header (also trying to take care of the time
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difference between Moscow and Amsterdam...);
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5. re-enable uucico;
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6. start up all connections to spread the article as quick as possible.
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[And that's where is almost went wrong: couldn't get a connection to
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decvax that whole day! Perhaps decvax playing April Fool on me???]
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That's all...)
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***
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I found this article in extremely poor taste.
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The person who fudged this up clearly has access rights to their
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site's news facilities. If I worked there I'd be somewhat worried
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about security.
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(No one else is, since they all know the meaning of April 1...;
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[This one came from Scotland; must have been very bad weather there...])
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***
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War of the Worlds, creationism... Now I understand. The person in
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the best "positon to know" is P. T. Barnum. His opinion is in the
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public domain.
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Kudos to the perpetrator! "moscvax", "kremvax" -- truly inspired!
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***
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If everyone compares paths, we can figure out what machine the
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perpetrator used.
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(Save your energy; here he is)
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***
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Interesting that whoever did this (well done, by the way!) picked
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"vax" as the machine suffix. Don't you know what happens to VAXen
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that try to go to the USSR? (They get stopped in Sweden and it makes
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headlines in North America.) (-:
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(Since the Russians spell "Moskva", the suffix was just 'x'.... :-))
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***
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Have you ever considered the profession of private investigator?
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Good Show!
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***
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I want to voice my support of those who feel that the "April Fool's"
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joke about the USSR on the USENET was bad form. Particularly when it
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appeared in what many of us had come to rely on as the authoritative
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source for nuews about the network.
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(net.politics you mean?)
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Perhaps that individual should also be informed that April Fool's Day
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is not the widespread celebration (?) that we in the US, in our
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culturo-centric way, may sometimes think it is.
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(For your information: it IS!)
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It looks as if there is at least one fool on this network.
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>From the ever smiling, ever happy fingers of:.....
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(Right! One with ever smiling fingers....)
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***
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Did you seriously believe that a K. Chernenko at moskvax!kremvax
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really exists? kremvax? moskvax? Come on!
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***
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I cant believe people actually are getting upset over a simple joke.
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When I first read the article, I was borderline on believing until I
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got to the KGBvax signature. I thought it was very humurous and not
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at all in bad taste. It certainly didnt take any more phone costs to
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post that and generate reponses than any of the other lame-brain
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articles one sometimes reads on the net.
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(I agree! Especially when my finger is hurting from hitting the 'n' key!)
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***
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There have been some people who thought that planting of this rather
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hilarious piece was somehow in "bad taste", because they genuinely
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thought a new era of Soviet-U.S. cooperation was at hand.
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(...and were too busy/sleepy to look at all the references
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to the date...)
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***
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Seems to imply that mcvax itself is the culprit.
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(Good work!)
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***
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kgbvax? kremvax? Chernenko actually use a terminal? Do you really
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believe all that? Would you like to buy some desert land?
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The article did exactly what an April Fool's joke is supposed to do -
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make a lot of people act like fools, if only for a few minutes.
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***
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Don't bother searching for the Mad Muscovite.
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If I had the capability to make a path that included moskvax and
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kremvax, would I include MY site name also?
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I hope we NEVER find out who did it. Somebody will probably want to
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sack him/her for "poor taste", when it was actually quite clever.
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(Never mind: sack > /dev/null)
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***
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The USSR joins the net article did not arrive here 1 April.
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Is there not a convention that jokes that are not obvious
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contain the :-) symbol?
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(See P.S. above; see explicit date and phonenumber(!) in article)
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***
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Subject: Know News Versions in use
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version B 2.10.1 4/1/83 (SU840401)
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kremvax.UUCP
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(Shouldn't computers be told about April 1 too?)
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***
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I am extremely happy at this chance to talk. Let us see where
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this leads us. At present this is a private letter to you. If
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our correspondance begins to make sense, we shall start posting it.
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***
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The article was obviously a prank, from the subject header on
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down. The thing that bothers me are the people who say things
|
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|
|
like '[using the network as a reliable source of information.]' HAH.
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
But the reference to the beginning of April was a dead giveaway,
|
|||
|
|
and it was meant to be.
|
|||
|
|
(Yes. See P.S. above)
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
I should have been more on my guard, and you can bet I will
|
|||
|
|
be next year!"
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
...would anyone be willing to serve as a Soviet gateway site?
|
|||
|
|
(I can honestly state mcvax, as the gateway to continental
|
|||
|
|
Europe, will)
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
The April Fool's day posting from kremvax was the most refreshing
|
|||
|
|
thing I've seen on usenet. To those who ask - "How would you feel
|
|||
|
|
if it came from ciavax or fbivax?" - I wish I had been imaginative
|
|||
|
|
enough to have posted a reply from ciavax!
|
|||
|
|
(I wish you had...)
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
C'mon guys. Do you expect that a letter from Ronald Reagan on the
|
|||
|
|
USENET would be legitimate? Than why did you expect such from the
|
|||
|
|
U.S.S.R?
|
|||
|
|
(Would you expect a letter from ANY politician on USENET?)
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
Dear sir,
|
|||
|
|
I am very glad to see that there is now a Soviet site on the net.
|
|||
|
|
Welcome. I am a computer science major at .....; I have class in
|
|||
|
|
a couple minute, so I will ask that you reply to this letter somehow.
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
In fact, I thought that the author of it should have used a leading
|
|||
|
|
Russian scientist as his spokesperson, instead of Chernenko, to make
|
|||
|
|
it more believable. Boy, did I overestimate Net intelligence!
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
KGB Officers are university admissions personnel? AHA! THAT explains
|
|||
|
|
it! Now I know why the current crop of students are who they are...
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
Selling them a VAX is likely to set them back ten years.
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Well, thanks for your attention, Comrades. But right now I've got the Russian
|
|||
|
|
Flu, so I'm afraid I won't see you again before April 1 next year!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
K. Chernenko
|
|||
|
|
--
|
|||
|
|
Piet Beertema, CWI, Amsterdam
|
|||
|
|
...{decvax,philabs}!mcvax!piet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>From sdcsvax!akgua!mcnc!decvax!mcvax!enea!erix!leif Mon May 7 13:22:44 1984
|
|||
|
|
Relay-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdccsu3.UUCP
|
|||
|
|
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site erix.UUCP
|
|||
|
|
Path: sdccsu3!sdcsvax!akgua!mcnc!decvax!mcvax!enea!erix!leif
|
|||
|
|
From: leif@erix.UUCP (Leif Samuelsson)
|
|||
|
|
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc
|
|||
|
|
Subject: Re: The Constitution in Electronic form :-)
|
|||
|
|
Message-ID: <365@erix.UUCP>
|
|||
|
|
Date: Mon, 7-May-84 13:22:44 PDT
|
|||
|
|
Date-Received: Thu, 10-May-84 06:45:54 PDT
|
|||
|
|
References: <952@hao.UUCP>
|
|||
|
|
Organization: L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden
|
|||
|
|
Lines: 18
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
> It has been asked if there is a copy of the Constitution in Electronic
|
|||
|
|
> Media. If there is not, there should be. I would be willing to type in
|
|||
|
|
> a few hundred words if enough others are willing to join in.
|
|||
|
|
>
|
|||
|
|
> Let me know if you are willing to participate in this, and if there is
|
|||
|
|
> enough response, I'll organize it and post the result to the net.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Good idea, at last we can get the world to read The Constitution!
|
|||
|
|
But how do we handle the different national character sets?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
kremvax!chernenko
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
P.S. If there is an american constitution, we would like to
|
|||
|
|
see that too.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
:-)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|