Xref: utzoo rec.humor:10750 comp.unix.xenix:1743
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!hao!gatech!mcnc!decvax!mkunix..DEC.COM!tyager
From: tyager@mkunix.DEC.COM (Tom Yager)
Newsgroups: rec.humor,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: AT&T humor: an apology
Message-ID: <161@mkunix.DEC.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 88 13:34:43 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Westborough, MA.
Lines: 42
Keywords: AT&T,flap,flame response

Since my recent posting of an AT&T humor item, I've been receiving
voluminous unpleasant mail charging that I was making unfair fun of
the "competition." This is not the case.

First of all, my posting was a) not the first one to carry this article,
and b) not the only corporate humor in that group at the time. If you
look, you'll notice that someone else posted this very same article before
me, and that another article (Dec Rainbow 100 manual?) poked fun at
Digital. I hope the poster of THOSE articles were similarly lambasted through
the mails.

As does everyone else on the net, I post humor and views which represent
my personal tastes and opinions, not my employer's. I sincerely apologize to
anyone at Digital or AT&T who thinks my posting was in poor taste. I do
feel strongly, however, that no one should consider themselves as empowered
to "police" the net, and that such attempts would undermine the Usenet's
intended purpose. There are moderated newgroups--rec.humor is not one of
them.

I think the posting was funny; I thought so when I received it and figured
there might be others who would agree. As for AT&T, I hope they are "big
enough to take a joke," and that said company's staff will realize that I
have spent thousands of dollars on their Unix products and documentation
and have no qualms about the quality of their products or services.

In summary, I will make no further postings of humor as it seems being
employed by DEC subjects my submissions to scrutiny that would not be
were they originating from elsewhere. I had thought that others would have
the tolerance not to take anything in a humor posting seriously, but
apparently I have misjudged this. Again, I apologize to anyone who was
legitimately offended, and, if I could, I would withdraw my previous
posting. Since this is not possible, I ask for the indulgence of those
who mailed me complaint letters and assure all of you that the future
will find me a passive observer of all but technical newsgroups.

Thanks to all of you for your attention.

-- 
Tom Yager, Digital Ultrix Support ("It MUST be the hardware!")
U.S. Mail: DEC, 14 Walkup Drive YWO/C9, Westborough, MA 01581
uucp:      ...decvax!mkunix!tyager
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN; NOT MY EMPLOYER'S