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From: linden@positive.eng.sun.com (Peter van der Linden)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Where snopes went. An enigma explained
Date: 27 Apr 1994 17:21:02 GMT

Old timers around these parts will recall many fascinating postings by a person called "snopes". snopes (always with a lower case "s") was a voluminous poster, primarily to AFU, but also to rec.arts.disney, who has not been seen on the net since the Northridge quake of several months ago.

At one time, the name "snopes" was synonymous with AFU. Although he has not been seen on the net for several months, snopes, or David Mikkelson, as he prefers not to be known has endowed AFU with much of its present character, and has significantly shaped the distinctive form of the newsgroup.

snopes -- he takes his name from a malevolent criminal character invented by the novelist William Faulkner -- has a rapier-sharp intellect, as anyone who has felt the cut of it can attest. Even the most persistent of illogicians will eventually whither under the force of snopes's insight, persistence, and acidic wit, as poor benighted hsr4 of Oxford would tell us if indeed he were still here to jabber on about his belief in snuff films.

If you know snopes from AFU, then you met him, you might be surprised at his conventional, urbane appearance. This is a man whose appearance suggests the Rotary Club, but whose actions tell a very different story. Among other accomplishments, snopes has:

• originated "snoping", which means pointing out the logical flaws or inconsistencies in a story
• originated the sport of trolling for newbies, responding to stupid posts with questions like "What's a snuff film?" and "Where does the word 'POSH' come from?"
• started the "I was told we wouldn't have to do <subject> in this newsgroup" catch phrase in April 1992.
• along with plucky lard-n-sugar cookie baking s.mudgett, and myself, is one of only three AFUers who prefers parts of their name spelled with no capitals AND whose name has appeared in "The Straight Dope".

His love for organization, classification and taxonomies has been expressed in several tangible forms: the Snopes' Unusual Fact & Fiction (SNUFF) List (stillborn in March 1992), the Shergold scale of credibility, and voracious reading habits. Despite this, snopes declined the honor and prestige of maintaining the AFU FAQ list when I offered him the mantle in July 1991.

Like many brilliant people on AFU, snopes embodies several conflicting weltanschaungen, but a reverence for authority figures wass not one of them. However, his long ruinning feud with the Post Office is now over! snopes no longer visits the disney lawsuit and empire.

I am empowered to inform you why snopes no longer posts. Almost unique among usenet devotees, he has finally got a life. Yes, it's true! The snopes that once cocked a snoot at the conventions of society is getting along very well with his charming and articulate girlfriend. They have intelligent conversations, read books, enjoy walks in the fresh air, and generally interact in socially meaningful ways with each other and society in general.

The Northridge quake, close to snopes's L.A. home, denied him net access for several weeks, and this was just the impetus that he needed to break his sorry addiction to the shadowy nether world of net communication. snopes is very happy with his new-found and meaningful life, and could not help contrasting it with his former pitiful usenet existence. Can *you* do as well?

So, snopes got a life. Who would have thought it? Let his example shine out, be widely known, and inspire us all! --

Peter van der Linden     floss@least.twice.daily   (415) 555-1212
      There's a tomato in my automaton, and it looks like u.

Wacka wacka splat splat, tick tick bang.