From: barrett@snoopy.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: When is a joke a joke? (was Re: A4000 article)
Date: 30 Jul 92 00:08:40 GMT
Reply-To: barrett@snoopy.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Organization: BLAZEMONGER INCORPORATED

>Mike_Whalen@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Mike Whalen) writes:
>:   So you [wrote the "A4000" joke posting]? What an asshole.

In article <1992Jul29.213556.2321@uwm.edu> gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block) writes:
>Way outta line, Mike.  When it was first posted to the net, it was,
>quite clearly, a joke.  Lines were removed, the article was edited,
>and then it became the piece of unbelievable trash you read.

	I'm with Mike on this one, folks.  After all, this is not the
first time this has happened!

	When I saw the first such posting several months ago -- the
"A600/A2200/AmigaStation" joke -- I immediately flamed the author (in
e-mail) for doing it.  It was written as a press release, contained rather
believable specs, and only mentioned "joke" in the last line of the (long)
article.  I scolded the author, saying that it was bound to turn up all over
the Net and the world, and that he should have indicated more forcefully
that it was a joke.  I won't waste time patting myself on the back, but we
all know how that story traveled far and wide.

	If I had seen the original "Slu Aspkis" A4000 article, I might have
flamed him too.  But I saw it only after it returned to the Net from abroad.

	Sure, people can sit back and say "anybody who believes this junk
DESERVES to be fooled."  But I say that people should think more about the
social consequences when they post realistic-sounding misinformation.

	I am CERTAINLY in favor of posting jokes.  (So is my company,
strangely enough. :-))  I also think that jokes should not have to be
explained -- some people will get them, and others not.  But when jokes
sound very realistic and are posted on the Net, I think it's important to
indicate obviously that they are jokes, unless you want your story spread
around as truth.  How do you think rumors start, people?  By magic?  Here we
are with the fastest method of world-wide information spreading (television
doesn't count, since ordinary people can't broadcast easily), and it WORKS.

	Here are some examples of what I'm talking about.  Suppose I
posted the following announcement:

EXAMPLE 1

	"AmigaOS version 3.14159 has just been released.  It comes with
	virtual reality, virtual fantasy, and a free microwave oven."

Now only a total moron will not realize this is a joke, so no indications
or hints are necessary.  Now let's get more subtle:

EXAMPLE 2

	"I just got a beta copy of AmigaOS 2.2.  It has direct support for
	the new (and still unannounced) A2000/A3000 CDTV-compatible CDROM
	drive.  Looking in the Libs: directory, it appears that Commodore
	has licensed the CDFS CDROM filesystem from Canadian Prototype
	Replicas."

	[I shudder to think that the above paragraph will wind up in a
	"Roooomerz" column somewhere....]

	I would argue that Example 2 intended to mislead people, not to be
funny.  Perhaps it is funny to mislead people -- I won't judge this.  But
looking at that paragraph, a typical computer user would have no idea
whether to believe it or not.  Having read the c.s.a. groups for nearly 7
years, I would know not to put much faith in the story, but that might
change if a respected regular Net contributor had posted it.

	My opinion is that if you want to be funny, be funny!  Post
something that will make people laugh!!  If you want to fake people out so
they believe you, wait for April Fools' day.

	Incidentally, this response is not to be taken as a criticism of the
people named in it ("Slu" and the gang), but of spreading misinformation as
a form of humor.

>If I tell you WB 2.1 will integrate BLAZEMONGER MCMLXXVII into the
>operating system giving you full virtual-reality interfacing, will you
>believe me?

	No, but I'd sue you for defamation of ASCII character. :-)

	On a slightly related matter, I have been flamed once or twice for
my BLAZEMONGER articles.  The writers say that "commercial announcements"
like mine don't belong on the Net.  You can tell they read the articles
carefully, eh? :-)

                                                        Dan

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| Dan Barrett -- Dept of Computer Science, Lederle Graduate Research Center |
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy