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From: smthsen@bcvms.bc.edu (Sean Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Extra! a.f.u. in Boston Herald!
Date: 26 May 1994 17:36:55 GMT

The May 25 edition of the Boston Herald contains a front page, top of the masthead article on USENET ("Preferred diet of lemurs? Check wild 'n crazy weirdnet"), in which alt.folklore.urban is prominently featured.

On the "jump" page, which is headlined "Wandering the Weirdnet: Exit here for a trip down the twisted side roads of the info highway," the article includes some samplings of the "more than 4,000 newsgroups covering topics from elaborate social research to exotic uses for lime jello."

"In alt.folklore.urban," writes the author M.A.J. McKenna, "correspondents have solved the problem of the California woman whose body reprotedly emitted fumes after death, and moved on to Viking ritual killings: 'The process is called "carving a blood eagle" and consists of chopping the ribs free from the spinal cord and forcing them apart,' a reader in Denmark explained helpfully. 'You only did this if you were seriously pissed off at the victim, of course.'"
There's also a graphic with other samplings from USENET, and a.f.u. is represented by the quote "Is it true that Zima does not show up on a Breathalyzer?"

(Oh, and in case you're curious about the "lemurs" in the headline: the story makes only the barest passing reference to "the preferred diet of lemurs.")

"Perhaps the best aspect of the Net's exultant foolishness," McKenna notes later on in the article, "is the good nature with which it is carried out. Except for occasional rabid arguments ('flames'), newsgroup conversations are helpful, well-mannered and place a premium on wit."

So, any of us good-natured exultant fools here on the Net have any helpful, well-mannered words for pundit McKenna?


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