Hoax Warnings


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NAME:

Internet cleaning hoax

The warning below is a hoax. Nobody is taking internet down for cleaning

  If you receive this warning or something similar to it,
  please ignore the message and don't pass it on.
  Internet Cleaning
  DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET FROM MARCH 31st 23:59 pm (GMT) UNTIL 12:01am
  (GMT) APRIL 1st.

  *** Attention ***

  It's that time again! As many of you know, each year the Internet must be
  shut down for 24 hours in order to allow us to clean it. The cleaning
  process, which eliminates dead email and inactive ftp, www and gopher sites,
  allows for a better-working and faster Internet.

  This year, the cleaning process will take place from 23:59 pm (GMT) on March
  31st until 00:01 am (GMT) on April 2nd. During that 24-hour period, five
  powerful Internet-crawling robots situated around the world will search the
  Internet and delete any data that they find.

  In order to protect your valuable data from deletion we ask that you do the
  following:

  1. Disconnect all terminals and local area networks from their Internet
  connections.

  2. Shut down all Internet servers, or disconnect them from the Internet.

  3. Disconnect all disks and hardrives from any connections to the Internet.

  4. Refrain from connecting any computer to the Internet in any way.
  We understand the inconvenience that this may cause some Internet users, and
  we apologize. However, we are certain that any inconveniences will be more
  than made up for by the increased speed and efficiency of the Internet, once
  it has been cleared of electronic flotsam and jetsam.

  We thank you for your cooperation.

  Interconnected Network Maintenance Staff
  Main Branch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Sysops and others: Since the last Internet cleaning, the number of Internet
  users has grown dramatically. Please assist us in alerting the public of the
  upcoming Internet cleaning by posting this message where your users will be
  able to read it.

  Please pass this message on to other sysops and Internet users as well.

  (This is Real! They Also Delete Sites With Hit Counts under 100! I know It
  seems stupid, but last year they deleted my webpage! Since I know you people
  don't like forwards, I copied it into a new message)

[Description created; Jarno Niemela;F-Secure Corp.; August 2002]