rec.arts.sf.written scheduled for sporge flood

supe...@rec.arts.sf.written

unread,

Aug 8, 2007, 10:14:38 PM8/8/07

to

Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.

This will render rec.arts.sf.written useless. For an example, see Sci.Crypt.

Supernews filters out this sporgery spam. Get a better Usenet
experience. Sign up for our risk-free trial today!

https://www.supernews.com/signup

--
Try extending the game's lonely lighting and Ramez will cancel you!

David DeLaney

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 1:42:03 PM8/9/07

to

supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.

This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a really-badly-thought-
out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get
people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups (which,
luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...

Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.

No 33 Secretary

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 1:40:57 PM8/9/07

to

d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) wrote in
news:slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com:

> supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written>
> wrote:
>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few
>>hours.
>
> This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through
> elementary usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks
> like a really-badly-thought- out attempt to advertise for

joe-job.

> Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get people mad at
> them).

Appaerntly, Supernews spanked somebody recently, and this is the
(childishly retarded) response.

> They're even forging approval for moderated groups
> (which, luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...
>

It does, and then some. It's being dealt with appropriately.

--
"If he does that shit again I'm going to tie his ass hairs together
and kick him in the shin."

Terry Austin

Dorothy J Heydt

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 1:38:51 PM8/9/07

to

In article <slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com>,

David DeLaney <d...@gatekeeper.vic.com> wrote:
>supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.
>
>This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
>usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a really-badly-thought-
>out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get
>people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups (which,
>luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...

What's 'sporge'?

Dorothy J. Heydt
Albany, California
djh...@kithrup.com

Michael S. Schiffer

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 1:59:45 PM8/9/07

to

d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) wrote in
news:slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com:

> supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written>

> wrote:
>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few
>>hours.

> This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through
> elementary usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks
> like a really-badly-thought- out attempt to advertise for
> Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get people mad at
> them).

I'm guessing the second, since the path points back to Supernews
competitor Newsguy. (Which doesn't necessarily implicate Newsguy--
this could be an enthusiastic subscriber, or a "let's you and him
fight" trollfest with a forged path.)

Mike

--
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS
msch...@condor.depaul.edu

pullo

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 2:14:26 PM8/9/07

to

"Dorothy J Heydt" <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote in message
news:JMIp0...@kithrup.com...

A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.

What I understand of it is that it is an attempt to flood an ng with
thousands or even tens of thousands of nonsensical or typical spam posts
with forged headers or other technogeek details in order to hide the origin
and/or frame someone else and/or fool spam blocks and such.

David DeLaney

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 2:28:32 PM8/9/07

to

Dorothy J Heydt <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote:
>David DeLaney <d...@gatekeeper.vic.com> wrote:
>>supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.
>>
>>This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
>>usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a really-badly-thought-
>>out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get
>>people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups (which,
>>luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...
>
>What's 'sporge'?

I would have said on my own "a made-up word dealing with flooding newsgroups".
Wikipedia confirms, and adds details. (In this case, the originator is
counting on the followups being directed back to sci.crypt, but coming from
real people who didn't notice they weren't posting in the same newsgroup he
put the 'warning' in, to help disrupt sci.crypt; embarrassingly, my first
reply, in another newsgroup, helped in that effort.)

It's a word from alt.religion.sc**nt*l*gy, perhaps unsurprisingly.

John M. Gamble

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 2:24:43 PM8/9/07

to

In article <Xns99876CAB180...@216.168.3.64>,

No 33 Secretary <terry.nota...@gmail.com> wrote:
>d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) wrote in
>news:slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com:
>
>> supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written>
>> wrote:
>>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few
>>>hours.
>>
>> This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through
>> elementary usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks
>> like a really-badly-thought- out attempt to advertise for
>
>joe-job.
>
>> Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get people mad at
>> them).
>
>Appaerntly, Supernews spanked somebody recently, and this is the
>(childishly retarded) response.
>

A sci.crypt regular recommended Supernews for filtering out the
spam attacks on sci.crypt (been going on for a couple of weeks,
last night was the first time thousands of messages didn't hit).

Our as-yet unknown twit (who does read the group) decided to go
offensive on this. I guess he thought he could bring down
Supernews?

At least last week, the attacks were coming from roadrunner.com,
a.k.a. rr.com.

--
-john

February 28 1997: Last day libraries could order catalogue cards
from the Library of Congress.

No 33 Secretary

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 2:37:34 PM8/9/07

to

jga...@ripco.com (John M. Gamble) wrote in news:f9fm5b$f9u$2
@e250.ripco.com:

> In article <Xns99876CAB180...@216.168.3.64>,
> No 33 Secretary <terry.nota...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) wrote in
>>news:slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com:
>>
>>> supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written>
>>> wrote:
>>>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few
>>>>hours.
>>>
>>> This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through
>>> elementary usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks
>>> like a really-badly-thought- out attempt to advertise for
>>
>>joe-job.
>>
>>> Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get people mad at
>>> them).
>>
>>Appaerntly, Supernews spanked somebody recently, and this is the
>>(childishly retarded) response.
>>
>
> A sci.crypt regular recommended Supernews for filtering out the
> spam attacks on sci.crypt (been going on for a couple of weeks,
> last night was the first time thousands of messages didn't hit).
>
> Our as-yet unknown twit (who does read the group) decided to go
> offensive on this. I guess he thought he could bring down
> Supernews?

Go Google on "hipcrime" sometime. Not necessarily the same
individual, but certainly the same sort of mental illness.

>
> At least last week, the attacks were coming from roadrunner.com,
> a.k.a. rr.com.
>

Roadrunner have to have the most profoundly stupid admins in the
business. Their email system is such a clusterfuck they regularly
block their own servers for spamming.

Derek Lyons

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 3:21:29 PM8/9/07

to

d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) wrote:

>supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.
>
>This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
>usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a really-badly-thought-
>out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to get
>people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups (which,
>luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...

Which is sad, because Supernews is actually a pretty good provider.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

William George Ferguson

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 3:42:09 PM8/9/07

to

On Thu, 9 Aug 2007 17:38:51 GMT, djh...@kithrup.com (Dorothy J Heydt)
wrote:

forged spam (or spammed forgeries)

--
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
(Bene Gesserit)

Mike Schilling

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 3:49:03 PM8/9/07

to

"pullo" <pull...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f9flh9$olt$1...@news.datemas.de...

>
> "Dorothy J Heydt" <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote in message
> news:JMIp0...@kithrup.com...
>>

>> What's 'sporge'?
>
> A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.

I thought it was the utensil KFC gives you to eat mashed potatoes with.

Stewart Robert Hinsley

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 3:50:14 PM8/9/07

to

In message <Xns998784333ECC...@130.133.1.4>, Michael S.
Schiffer <msch...@condor.depaul.edu> writes

>
>I'm guessing the second, since the path points back to Supernews
>competitor Newsguy. (Which doesn't necessarily implicate Newsguy--
>this could be an enthusiastic subscriber, or a "let's you and him
>fight" trollfest with a forged path.)
>

I was assuming a disgruntled SuperNews (ex?)customer.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Jeffrey Kaplan

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 6:27:28 PM8/9/07

to

It is alleged that Mike Schilling claimed:

> >> What's 'sporge'?
> > A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.
> I thought it was the utensil KFC gives you to eat mashed potatoes with.

That's a 'spork'. There's a nice titanium one over at ThinkGeek.com.
:)

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"You cannot be president of the United States if you don't have faith.
Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil
War and all that stuff. You can't be. And we are blessed. So don't
feel sorry for George W. Bush, don't cry for me, Argentina." - George
W. Bush

Gene Ward Smith

unread,

Aug 9, 2007, 7:23:16 PM8/9/07

to

"Mike Schilling" <mscotts...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:NcKui.3$%Y7.2
@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com:

>>> What's 'sporge'?
>>
>> A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.
>
> I thought it was the utensil KFC gives you to eat mashed potatoes with.
>

It's what cafes in England give you to eat spam with.

Default User

unread,

Aug 10, 2007, 12:52:33 PM8/10/07

to

Gene Ward Smith wrote:

I'm having Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam,
spam and spam.

Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

Jeffrey Kaplan

unread,

Aug 10, 2007, 2:27:29 PM8/10/07

to

It is alleged that Default User claimed:

> > It's what cafes in England give you to eat spam with.
> I'm having Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam,
> spam and spam.

Baked beans are off.

(Someone had to say it)

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #83.
If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have
to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of
us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.

Default User

unread,

Aug 10, 2007, 2:50:27 PM8/10/07

to

Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:

> It is alleged that Default User claimed:
>
> > > It's what cafes in England give you to eat spam with.
> > I'm having Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam,
> > spam, spam and spam.
>
> Baked beans are off.

Can I have spam instead?

ravenlynne

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 7:54:10 AM8/14/07

to

My only question is "Why?"

--
-Gina in Italy

http://www.myspace.com/ravenlynne1975

I've got the ways and means
to New Orleans
I'm goin' down by the river where it's warm and green
Gonna have a drink
And walk around
I've got a lot to think about oh yeah...

-concrete blonde

ravenlynne

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 7:54:53 AM8/14/07

to

Default User wrote:
> I'm having Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam,
> spam and spam.
>
>
>
> Brian
>

I don't like Spam!

Joe Bednorz

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 10:02:43 AM8/14/07

to

On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:54:10 +0200, ravenlynne wrote in
<f9s55...@news5.newsguy.com>:

>pullo wrote:
>> "Dorothy J Heydt" <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote in message
>> news:JMIp0...@kithrup.com...
>>> In article <slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com>,
>>> David DeLaney <d...@gatekeeper.vic.com> wrote:
>>>> supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>>>>> Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.
>>>> This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
>>>> usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a
>>>> really-badly-thought-
>>>> out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to
>>>> get
>>>> people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups
>>>> (which,
>>>> luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...
>>> What's 'sporge'?
>>
>> A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.
>>
>> What I understand of it is that it is an attempt to flood an ng with
>> thousands or even tens of thousands of nonsensical or typical spam posts
>> with forged headers or other technogeek details in order to hide the origin
>> and/or frame someone else and/or fool spam blocks and such.
>>
>>
>>
>
>My only question is "Why?"

Attention.

--
Links to GB of free SF: <http://www.mindspring.com/~jbednorz/Free/>
Welcome back to the Wild Wild Web: <http://preview.tinyurl.com/2m32q3>
All the Best, Joe Bednorz

Default User

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 12:53:42 PM8/14/07

to

ravenlynne wrote:

> Default User wrote:
> > I'm having Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam,
> > spam, spam and spam.

> I don't like Spam!

I'll have yours, I love it.

Brian

Tomi Häsä

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 2:30:21 PM8/14/07

to

On Aug 9, 5:14 am, supern...@rec.arts.sf.written wrote:
> Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.

To help better filter this spammer, here are some of the sporge flood
warning messages in newsgroups where the sporge flood attacks actually
took place around August 2007:

Some of the false alarms (at least so far):

More sporge flood warning messages can be found with this search:

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=sporge+flood&num=100&scoring=r&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_ugroup=&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=&lr=&as_qdr=w&as_drrb=b&as_mind=4&as_minm=8&as_miny=2007&as_maxd=14&as_maxm=8&as_maxy=2007&safe=off

Filtering suggestion for the sporge flood attacks:

http://groups.google.com/group/sci.crypt/browse_frm/thread/b1a5be766256e01f/69869a7d856ef65e#69869a7d856ef65e

More info about sporge flood attacks for newbies who might find this
thread confusing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporgery
http://bernie.cncfamily.com/sc/sporg.htm
http://www.wordsonline.org/Sporge
http://www.dansdata.com/sporge.htm
http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/sporgart.htm
http://www.talkaboutreligion.com/group/alt.religion.scientology/messages/1242545.html
http://www.holysmoke.org/forgeries/giganews.htm
http://www.usenetplus.com/blog/2007/07/12/of-sporge-and-lamers/

David DeLaney

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 8:14:43 PM8/14/07

to

ravenlynne <raven...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>pullo wrote:
>> What I understand of it is that it is an attempt to flood an ng with
>> thousands or even tens of thousands of nonsensical or typical spam posts
>> with forged headers or other technogeek details in order to hide the origin
>> and/or frame someone else and/or fool spam blocks and such.
>
>My only question is "Why?"

"Because he's an idiot". (You _know_ it's a 'he'...) Also possibly contaminated
with "because he's a teenager".

He's got some beef, still undetermined, with sci.crypt, and wants to make them
totally unusable ... and has extended that to wanting to make totally unusable
any of the newsgroups that he involved in his first attempt to make sci.crypt
unusable using Followup-To: headers and crossposting. And possibly wants to
make totally unusable any newsgroup that's talking about what he's doing
in a negative manner.

Dave "definitely a loon (see .sig), just not an identified one as yet" DeLaney

James Gassaway

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 9:38:37 PM8/14/07

to

Standard terrorist thinking.

--
"I reject your reality and substitute my own."
"Now, quack, damn you!"

ravenlynne

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 9:40:27 PM8/14/07

to

It's been going on since yesterday. Really, they need a new hobby.

pullo

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 9:50:07 PM8/14/07

to

"ravenlynne" <raven...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f9tli...@news5.newsguy.com...

> James Gassaway wrote:
>> ravenlynne wrote:

[the sporge]

>>> My only question is "Why?"
>>
>> Standard terrorist thinking.
>>
>
> It's been going on since yesterday. Really, they need a new hobby.

I wonder what a psych study of the motivation would ellicit. The only thing
I can think of tha tis comparable is that teenage desire to destroy. Usually
teens and grow out of it. Some don't apparently.

Failing that, using it as a story element by one of the resident writers.

SF: Wasn't there a scene in Niven/Pornelle's Oath of Fealty where a
character had a communications device implant that went haywire flooding his
head with audio junk?

Or am I misremembering?

Dorothy J Heydt

unread,

Aug 14, 2007, 9:59:41 PM8/14/07

to

In article <f9tm4g$11r$1...@news.datemas.de>, pullo <pull...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>"ravenlynne" <raven...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:f9tli...@news5.newsguy.com...
>> James Gassaway wrote:
>>> ravenlynne wrote:
>[the sporge]
>>>> My only question is "Why?"
>>>
>>> Standard terrorist thinking.
>>>
>>
>> It's been going on since yesterday. Really, they need a new hobby.
>
> I wonder what a psych study of the motivation would ellicit. The only thing
>I can think of tha tis comparable is that teenage desire to destroy. Usually
>teens and grow out of it. Some don't apparently.

It's power-tripping. "See, I can do this thing you don't like
and you can't stop me!"

Sub-option 1a: ".... and you can't stop me because you don't
know who I am!"

Like people who drive big noisy motorcycles with no mufflers on
their overpowered engines, or burglers who, having burgled,
defecate on the victim's rugs.

tkma...@yahoo.co.uk

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 12:28:12 AM8/15/07

to

pullo wrote:
> SF: Wasn't there a scene in Niven/Pornelle's Oath of Fealty where a
> character had a communications device implant that went haywire flooding his
> head with audio junk?

Last week, I read an interesting interstellar spam story - "Maxo
Signals" by Charles Stross, available online:
<http://www.concatenation.org/futures/maxo_lo.pdf>

Nice First Contact touch.

Joe Bednorz

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 8:49:43 AM8/15/07

to

On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:59:41 GMT, Dorothy J Heydt wrote in
<JMsLJ...@kithrup.com>:

This is HipCrime, of news.admin.net-abuse.email infamy. He wants
attention, especially chest beating defiance. He's focussing on the
groups that responded the strongest to the test run.

Disdainful dismissals and amateur psychoanalysis get his full
attention. (See the subject of this thread.)

He's a master of getting people to underestimate him, by starting
slow and simple. He hasn't yet used half the dirty tricks he wrote
into his software.

The best solution is just to STFU about the sporgeries.

It may be too late, but that's the best advice I can give.

loua...@yahoo.com

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 9:16:52 AM8/15/07

to

Also "Diamond Age," where a friend of one viewpoint character had
killed himself because he had an implanted link of some kind and he
_could not_ stop getting spam. In Thai.

Thomas Lindgren

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 9:23:12 AM8/15/07

to

Joe Bednorz <inv...@invalid.invalid> writes:

> This is HipCrime, of news.admin.net-abuse.email infamy. He wants
> attention, especially chest beating defiance. He's focussing on the
> groups that responded the strongest to the test run.

Okay, so what's his real name?

Best,
Thomas
--
Thomas Lindgren "It was all very mechanical -- but
that's the way planetside life is." -- RAW

Mike Schilling

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 10:29:26 AM8/15/07

to

"Joe Bednorz" <inv...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:12t5c3hhmle7bkfs0...@4ax.com...

> This is HipCrime, of news.admin.net-abuse.email infamy. He wants
> attention, especially chest beating defiance. He's focussing on the
> groups that responded the strongest to the test run.
>
> Disdainful dismissals and amateur psychoanalysis get his full
> attention. (See the subject of this thread.)

That pencil-dicked loser wouldn't dare touch any of the microsoft.public
groups. Microsoft would find him, beat him bloody, and cut off his shrunken
little balls.

Dorothy J Heydt

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 11:59:42 AM8/15/07

to

In article <a5Ewi.27741$RX....@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net>,

And besides, they've got to do SOMEthing to recoup sagging
morale.

See today's User Friendly.

Don Bruder

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 12:01:10 PM8/15/07

to

In article <a5Ewi.27741$RX....@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net>,
"Mike Schilling" <mscotts...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Methinks that's kinda like screaming "HITLER HITLER HITLER" to invoke
Godwin's law... :)

--
Don Bruder - dak...@sonic.net - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info

tkma...@yahoo.co.uk

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 2:17:58 PM8/15/07

to

Do you mean Neal Stephenon's "The Diamond Age, Or, A Young Lady's
Illustrated Primer"? I have had it on my shelf for over a year now -
never got down to reading. Is it a good one?

Richard D. Latham

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 6:32:04 PM8/15/07

to

"Mike Schilling" <mscotts...@hotmail.com> writes:

Perhaps we could talk the IRS into starting up a moderated group for
him to ... nah ... siccing the IRS on somebody is too brutal a
punishment, even for sporging, isn't it ?

Giving him/her to the Indians, and paying them a buck for every day they
can keep 'it' alive over a slow fire, however, sounds like making the
punishment fit the crime.

--
#include <disclaimer.std> /* I don't speak for IBM ... */
/* Heck, I don't even speak for myself */
/* Don't believe me ? Ask my wife :-) */
Richard D. Latham lat...@us.ibm.com

Sea Wasp

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 7:35:12 PM8/15/07

to

Joe Bednorz wrote:

> This is HipCrime, of news.admin.net-abuse.email infamy. He wants
> attention, especially chest beating defiance. He's focussing on the
> groups that responded the strongest to the test run.
>
> Disdainful dismissals and amateur psychoanalysis get his full
> attention. (See the subject of this thread.)
>

Then his full attention is not very impressive, given the number of
disdainful dismissals and amateur psychoanalysis done so far.

> He's a master of getting people to underestimate him, by starting
> slow and simple. He hasn't yet used half the dirty tricks he wrote
> into his software.

All the tricks in the world aren't enough to make him anything less a
loser. One day someone will locate him. He's not The Shadow, no matter
how much he thinks he is.

--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Live Journal: http://seawasp.livejournal.com

No 33 Secretary

unread,

Aug 15, 2007, 7:40:36 PM8/15/07

to

Sea Wasp <seawasp...@sgeObviousinc.com> wrote in
news:46C38DB...@sgeObviousinc.com:

Last I heard (and it could just have been wishful thinking), he was
on probation for his antics. His identity is know, though.

--
"If he does that shit again I'm going to tie his ass hairs together
and kick him in the shin."

Terry Austin

Jaimie Vandenbergh

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 4:24:29 AM8/16/07

to

Oooh, yes! It's not a take-off of the Cyberpunk genre that Snowcrash
was, more a straight version dialled up to 11. The first couple of
chapters are not indicative of the rest of the book, either - they're
just scenesetting.

It took me two tries to get into it, due to the start.

Cheers - Jaimie
--
"Doesn't the futility of it all depress you, Bernard?"
"Not really, Minister. I'm a civil servant."

Mike Van Pelt

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 6:25:38 AM8/16/07

to

In article <d4xofm...@us.ibm.com>,

Richard D. Latham <lat...@us.ibm.com> wrote:
>Giving him/her to the Indians, and paying them a buck
>for every day they can keep 'it' alive over a slow fire,
>however, sounds like making the punishment fit the crime.

My object all sublime
I shall achieve in time
To let the punishment fit the crime
The punishment fit the crime;
And make each prisoner pent
Unwillingly represent
A source of innocent merriment!
Of innocent merriment!

--
Mike Van Pelt | Wikipedia. The roulette wheel of knowledge.
mvp at calweb.com | --Blair P. Houghton
KE6BVH

David Goldfarb

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 7:43:22 AM8/16/07

to

In article <d4xofm...@us.ibm.com>,
Richard D. Latham <lat...@us.ibm.com> wrote:

>Giving him/her to the Indians, and paying them a buck for every day they
>can keep 'it' alive over a slow fire, however, sounds like making the
>punishment fit the crime.

Well, no. My idea of a punishment fitting the crime would be to fit
him (seems most likely to be a him) with a helmet that at random,
short, intervals flashes a bright light in his eyes and makes a loud
noise in his ears...and whenever he tries to talk, sets off a siren.

(Ideally, the loud noise in the ears would go off whenever anyone
spoke to him, but that might be too difficult to implement.)

--
David Goldfarb | "Speak softly, drive a Sherman tank
gold...@ocf.berkeley.edu | Laugh hard, it's a long way to the bank."
gold...@csua.berkeley.edu | -- TMBG

Peter Meilinger

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 12:31:29 PM8/16/07

to

On Aug 14, 6:50 pm, "pullo" <pullo...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> SF: Wasn't there a scene in Niven/Pornelle's Oath of Fealty where a
> character had a communications device implant that went haywire flooding his
> head with audio junk?

I haven't read it, but I understand that Feed by M.T. Anderson
takes place in a future society where almost everyone's brain
is connected to the internet or equivalent, and they're constantly
bombarded by ads and information that those in power want
them to know.

In Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan comic, advertisers can
use your TV set to implant their ads in your head so you
dream them when you go to sleep. They're apparently
required to give you a few seconds warning, so most
people know to turn away. The main character, Spider
Jerusalem, had been doing the hermit thing for a few
years and got zapped because he didn't know better.

Pete

loua...@yahoo.com

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 12:34:49 PM8/16/07

to

On Aug 15, 1:17 pm, tkmail...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> louan...@yahoo.com wrote:

> > Also "Diamond Age," where a friend of one viewpoint character had
> > killed himself because he had an implanted link of some kind and he
> > _could not_ stop getting spam. In Thai.
>
> Do you mean Neal Stephenon's "The Diamond Age, Or, A Young Lady's
> Illustrated Primer"? I have had it on my shelf for over a year now -
> never got down to reading. Is it a good one?

It's insanely good, if you like that sort of book. I don't know you to
know if you like that sort of book. Have you read other Stephensons
and liked them?

Jens Kilian

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 1:42:35 PM8/16/07

to

"Something lingering, with boiling oil in it."
--
mailto:j...@acm.org As the air to a bird, or the sea to a fish,
http://www.bawue.de/~jjk/ so is contempt to the contemptible. [Blake]
http://del.icio.us/jjk

Kurt Busiek

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 2:13:13 PM8/16/07

to

On 2007-08-16 04:43:22 -0700, gold...@OCF.Berkeley.EDU (David Goldfarb) said:

> In article <d4xofm...@us.ibm.com>,
> Richard D. Latham <lat...@us.ibm.com> wrote:
>> Giving him/her to the Indians, and paying them a buck for every day they
>> can keep 'it' alive over a slow fire, however, sounds like making the
>> punishment fit the crime.
>
> Well, no. My idea of a punishment fitting the crime would be to fit
> him (seems most likely to be a him) with a helmet that at random,
> short, intervals flashes a bright light in his eyes and makes a loud
> noise in his ears...and whenever he tries to talk, sets off a siren.
>
> (Ideally, the loud noise in the ears would go off whenever anyone
> spoke to him, but that might be too difficult to implement.)

Not that hard. My daughter has a talking Edna Mode doll that speaks up
whenever there's local sound loud enough to be thought of as
conversation; surely that technology could be adapted.

kdb

Dorothy J Heydt

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 2:57:30 PM8/16/07

to

In article <87r6m3p...@earrame.de>, Jens Kilian <j...@acm.org> wrote:
>"Something lingering, with boiling oil in it."

Or molten lead, I forget which.

tkma...@yahoo.co.uk

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 11:12:34 PM8/16/07

to

This will be my first Stephenon. I generally prefer either pure fantasy,
or plausible visionary technology. But you & Jaimie have given me a
reason to pick up the book. Thanks.

tkma...@yahoo.co.uk

unread,

Aug 16, 2007, 11:26:40 PM8/16/07

to

Peter Meilinger wrote:
> In Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan comic, advertisers can
> use your TV set to implant their ads in your head so you
> dream them when you go to sleep. They're apparently
> required to give you a few seconds warning, so most
> people know to turn away. The main character, Spider
> Jerusalem, had been doing the hermit thing for a few
> years and got zapped because he didn't know better.
>
> Pete

This sounds somewhat like a subplot in Vinge's "Rainbows End" - one of
this year's Hugo novel candidates.

I didn't like the novel, & found even this subplot half-baked, but the
concept is intriguing. You infect a population, or a few individuals,
with a harmless biological trojan virus. This makes them susceptible to
certain kinds of suggestions - like buying your brand of candy!
Suggestions can reach the target via a variety of means - email, TV ads, ...

Bigger project is mind control of large populations for political
purposes by an would be despot.

<http://variety-sf.blogspot.com/2007/08/vernor-vinges-rainbows-end-computer.html>

Joe Pfeiffer

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 12:00:36 AM8/17/07

to

tkma...@yahoo.co.uk writes:

I would rate "Diamond Age" as pretty plausible visionary technology.

Speaking of Stephenson, at the moment he strikes me as the most sudden
and severe attack of the Brain Eater I can think of. From
Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon and Diamond Age to his Baroque Cycle (the
only series I can think of that had books released under more than one
title to try to drum up a few more sales) and a bunch of books
co-authored with people I've never heard of (in fairness, based on the
jacket synopses I haven't actually read any of these) is just
impossible for me to comprehend.

Mike Van Pelt

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 6:53:10 AM8/17/07

to

In article <JMvrB...@kithrup.com>,

Dorothy J Heydt <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote:
>In article <87r6m3p...@earrame.de>, Jens Kilian <j...@acm.org> wrote:
>>"Something lingering, with boiling oil in it."
>
>Or molten lead, I forget which.

Lingering but amusing.

Pubkeybreaker

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 7:41:10 AM8/17/07

to

pullo wrote:
> "ravenlynne" <raven...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:f9tli...@news5.newsguy.com...
> > James Gassaway wrote:
> >> ravenlynne wrote:
> [the sporge]
> >>> My only question is "Why?"
> >>
> >> Standard terrorist thinking.
> >>
> >
> > It's been going on since yesterday. Really, they need a new hobby.
>
> I wonder what a psych study of the motivation would ellicit. The only thing
> I can think of tha tis comparable is that teenage desire to destroy.

In sci.crypt we have a pretty good guess as to who is doing this.
I will not mention a name because I won't accuse someone of criminal
activity based upon a guess.
The person is a clueless crank who posted some nonsensical gibberish.
This person was told that it was gibberish and got insulted. It seems
that this person might also be trying to sell a 'snake oil' crypto
product
and is pissed off that he was told that his 'product' is worthless.

loua...@yahoo.com

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 10:48:44 AM8/17/07

to

On Aug 16, 11:00 pm, Joe Pfeiffer <pfeif...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote:

> Speaking of Stephenson, at the moment he strikes me as the most sudden
> and severe attack of the Brain Eater I can think of. From
> Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon and Diamond Age to his Baroque Cycle (the
> only series I can think of that had books released under more than one
> title to try to drum up a few more sales)

I think that was more breaking each volume into two sub-volumes for
the paperback editions, to avoid Acute Spinal Failure. Both for the
paperbacks and the people lifting them.

and a bunch of books
> co-authored with people I've never heard of (in fairness, based on the
> jacket synopses I haven't actually read any of these) is just
> impossible for me to comprehend.

I can't speak to the co-authored stuff unless you mean Interface and
Cobweb. Co-authored with a family member and IMO perfectly good techno-
thrillers, which is their true genre.

I liked the Baroque Cycle. Of course I also like that period of
history. And I have a side interest in Victorian novels, which has
gotten me used to that sort of length. I can appreciate that plenty of
people wouldn't like the style.

Jon Schild

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 12:47:17 PM8/17/07

to

pullo wrote:
> "Dorothy J Heydt" <djh...@kithrup.com> wrote in message
> news:JMIp0...@kithrup.com...
>
>>In article <slrnfbmjb...@gatekeeper.vic.com>,
>>David DeLaney <d...@gatekeeper.vic.com> wrote:
>>
>>>supe...@rec.arts.sf.written <supe...@rec.arts.sf.written> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Sporge flooding of rec.arts.sf.written will commence in a few hours.
>>>
>>>This is actually an attempt to "sporge-flood" sci.crypt through elementary
>>>usage of the Followup-To: header, plus what looks like a
>>>really-badly-thought-
>>>out attempt to advertise for Supernews (or a slightly better attempt to
>>>get
>>>people mad at them). They're even forging approval for moderated groups
>>>(which,
>>>luckily, makes these cancellable in those groups)...
>>
>>What's 'sporge'?
>
>
> A combination of 'spam' and 'forgery' I would guess.
>
> What I understand of it is that it is an attempt to flood an ng with
> thousands or even tens of thousands of nonsensical or typical spam posts
> with forged headers or other technogeek details in order to hide the origin
> and/or frame someone else and/or fool spam blocks and such.
>
>
>

We don't need that. We already have "sound of thunder"

--
Surrealism is just not my cup of tuna.

David DeLaney

unread,

Aug 17, 2007, 6:10:51 PM8/17/07

to

Pubkeybreaker <pubkey...@aol.com> wrote:
>In sci.crypt we have a pretty good guess as to who is doing this.
>I will not mention a name because I won't accuse someone of criminal
>activity based upon a guess.

Quite fair.

>The person is a clueless crank who posted some nonsensical gibberish.
>This person was told that it was gibberish and got insulted. It seems
>that this person might also be trying to sell a 'snake oil' crypto
>product and is pissed off that he was told that his 'product' is worthless.

Heh. Our guesses were near the bullseye then.

Dave "hope your guess firms up soon; we'd be interested in hearing any Amusing
Consequences therefrom" DeLaney
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.

Robert Hutchinson

unread,

Aug 18, 2007, 9:52:59 PM8/18/07

to

loua...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Aug 16, 11:00 pm, Joe Pfeiffer <pfeif...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote:
>
>> Speaking of Stephenson, at the moment he strikes me as the most sudden
>> and severe attack of the Brain Eater I can think of. From
>> Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon and Diamond Age to his Baroque Cycle (the
>> only series I can think of that had books released under more than one
>> title to try to drum up a few more sales)
>
> I think that was more breaking each volume into two sub-volumes for
> the paperback editions, to avoid Acute Spinal Failure. Both for the
> paperbacks and the people lifting them.

Three sub-volumes for the first book, and I'm sure it was more the publisher's
idea than Neal's (not that he's turning down the money).

(I still find it darkly amusing that the trade paperback of _Quicksilver_ was a
better value than buying the three mass market paperbacks it was released as.)

> and a bunch of books
>> co-authored with people I've never heard of (in fairness, based on the
>> jacket synopses I haven't actually read any of these) is just
>> impossible for me to comprehend.
>
> I can't speak to the co-authored stuff unless you mean Interface and
> Cobweb. Co-authored with a family member and IMO perfectly good techno-
> thrillers, which is their true genre.

Also, they were written a while back, and were just rereleased with his name on
the cover (presumably) to cash in on his recent good-selling-ness.

> I liked the Baroque Cycle. Of course I also like that period of
> history. And I have a side interest in Victorian novels, which has
> gotten me used to that sort of length. I can appreciate that plenty of
> people wouldn't like the style.

I loved it, mainly for the trademark Stephenson Infodumps, and for the way he
wrote a secret history that reads like a SF work.

--
Robert Hutchinson

"The cake is ticking loudly: tock tock, tock tock. Puzzled, the cat holds it
up to one ear. He listens closely. A terrible knowledge dawns in his eyes."
<http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/19/040419fi_fiction?printable=true>