Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sjuvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!psuvax!burdvax!sjuvax!bbanerje
From: bbanerje@sjuvax.UUCP (B. Banerjee)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: re: USSR on Usenet
Message-ID: <250@sjuvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Apr-84 00:32:14 EST
Article-I.D.: sjuvax.250
Posted: Mon Apr  9 00:32:14 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Apr-84 00:19:39 EST
References: <67@hwcs.UUCP> <238@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
Organization: Saint Josephs Univ. Phila., Pa.
Lines: 38

From fluke!inc :

>> I want to voice my support of those who feel that the "April Fool's"
>> joke about the USSR on the USENET was bad form. Particularly when it
>> appeared in what many of us had come to rely on as the authoritative
>> source for nuews about the network.
>> 
Come now! It appeared in net.general.  Hardly authoritative!

>> Perhaps the perpetrator should be asked to pay all those long-distance
>> phone bills that resulted when many people (apparently) responded to
>> this article seriously and with a sense of the beginning of the start
>> of a great adventure in international communication.
>> 
The perpetrator(s) seem to be the people in charge of the uucp
(and usenet?) at either decvax or mcvax.  As these are the sites that
usually pay the transatlantic phone bills anyhow; and since they aren't
complaining... why should you.  NOTE.  I have no concrete evidence for
these assumptions.  Someone with write permission for the decvax and
/or mcvax spool directories must have been responsible.  It stands to
reason that this was the news/uucp administrator.

>> Perhaps that individual should also be informed that April Fool's Day
>> is not the widespread celebration (?) that we in the US, in our
>> culturo-centric way, may sometimes think it is.

It is my understanding that April Fool's Day is more widespread if
anything in Europe (especially the Netherlands) than in the USA.

Congratulations to whoever responsible.  It was a great joke.
BTW, to fluke!inc - Why was your followup in net.general?

Regards,
-- 


				Binayak Banerjee
		{allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!bbanerje