From: Monty Solomon <monty%roscom@think.com>
Subject: Re: Please help Craig
Reply-To: Monty Solomon <roscom!monty@think.com>
Organization: Proponent
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 08:12:23 GMT

In article <1992Jul17.155805.25531@newsgate.sps.mot.com>  
chiu@gpb-mac.sps.mot.com (Norman Chiu) writes:
> I am forwarding this message to you.  Please take a moment to
> read it and help toward this worthy cause.  Thanks.
> ---------------------------- begin ------------------------------
> Craig Shergold is 7 years old and dying of terminal cancer. 
> One of his last wishes is to be included in the Guinness
> book of world records for the largest collection of business
> cards ever collected by one person.  Please help Craig's dream
> come true.  Please give your business card to the following
> address, and ask 10 others people to do the same.  Thanks.


From: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Subject: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Date: 20 Jul 92 06:48:44 GMT
Expires: 18 Sep 92 18:48:43 GMT
Followup-To: news.newusers.questions
Organization: Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue Univ.

Archive-name: usenet-faq/part1
Original-author: jerry@eagle.UUCP (Jerry Schwarz)
Last-change: 19 Jul 1992 by mvac23!thomas@udel.edu (Thomas Lapp)


		      Frequently Submitted Items

This document discusses some questions and topics that occur
repeatedly on USENET.  They frequently are submitted by new users, and
result in many followups, sometimes swamping groups for weeks. The
purpose of this note is to head off these annoying events by answering
some questions and warning about the inevitable consequence of asking
others.  If you don't like these answers, let spaf@cs.purdue.edu know.

Note that some newsgroups have their own special "Frequent Questions &
Answers" posting.  You should read a group for a while before posting
any questions, because the answers may already be present.
Comp.unix.questions and comp.unix.internals are examples -- Steve Hayman
regularly posts an article that answers common questions, including
some of the ones asked here.

This list is often referred to as FAQ -- the Frequently Asked
Questions.  If you are a new user of the Usenet and don't find an
answer to your questions here, you can try asking in the
news.newusers.questions group.  You might also read through other FAQ
lists, cross-posted to the news.answers group.


37.  I heard these stories about a dying child wanting
     postcards/get-well cards/business cards to get in the Guinness
     Book of World Records.  Where can I post the address for people to
     help?

     Post it to "junk," or better yet, don't post it at all.  The
     story of the little boy keeps popping up, even though his mother
     and the agencies involved have been appealing for people to stop.
     So many postcards were sent (33 million as of May 1991) that the
     agencies involved in the effort don't know what to do with them.
     The Guinness people have recorded the boy, Craig Shergold, as the
     record holder in the category (cf. page 207 of the 1992 US
     edition).  However, they will not accept claims for a new try at
     the record.  For confirmation, you can see page 24 of the 29 July
     1990 NY Times or call the publisher of the Guinness Book (in the
     US, call "Facts on File" @ 212-683-2244).

     If you want to do something noble, donate the cost of a stamp and
     postcard (or more) to a worthwhile charity like UNICEF or the
     International Red Cross (Red Crescent, Red Magen David).  There are
     tens of thousands of children dying around the world daily, and
     they could use more than a postcard.  


38.  I just heard about a scheme the FCC has to implement a tax on
     modems!  Where can I post a message so everyone will hear about
     this and do something to prevent it?

     Post it the same place as the articles in response to #37, above.
     This is an old, old story that just won't die.  Something like
     this was proposed many YEARS back and defeated.  However, the
     rumor keeps spreading and people who hear about it for the first
     time get all upset.  Before posting stories like this, check with
     the organizations involved (like the FCC) to see if the story is
     true and current.

-- 
Gene Spafford
Software Engineering Research Center & Dept. of Computer Sciences
Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-1398
Internet:  spaf@cs.purdue.edu	phone:  (317) 494-7825
-- 
# Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA  01701-0405
# monty%roscom@think.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house