daly@nybcb.UUCP (daly) (01/20/84)
why does net.suicide exist?
jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman) (01/22/84)
Jump! Jump!
--
John Quarterman, CS Dept., University of Texas, Austin, Texas
jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, jsq@ut-sally.UUCP, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsqlied@ihlts.UUCP (01/23/84)
I have been informed that net.suicide was not a response to a motorcycle lover, but the result of an unoriginal joke told over dinner by Rob Pike to John Linderman. I stand corrected (orthopedic shoes, doncha know). Still the question remains: who was bimmler? 42! No, doesn't fit... Bob Lied ihnp4!ihlts!lied
rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (01/24/84)
In answer to the question "Why?": The determinist says: "Because." The advocate of free will says: "Why not?" And the chicken says: "To get to the other side." Summing it all up... (that's my job) -- Pardon me for breathing... Rich Rosen pyuxn!rlr
suhre@trw-unix.UUCP (01/24/84)
I don't know why, but I started reading it because of a recommendation from another reader. It was alleged that the quality of insults had been truly marvelous. Someone had suggested that someone else put their finger in the light socket and their foot in the toilet bowl. Now that's real imagination!!!!! However, Murphy's Law prevailed (as it always does) and the activity and number of insults decayed exponentially shortly after I started reading. I have no intention of killing myself intentionally, and I may end up doing it inadvertently via some combination of too much sodium and high blood pressure..... Maurice
lied@ihlts.UUCP (Bob Lied) (01/28/84)
Ah, why. That omni-present question. We could be metaphysical and say it simply does. We could be empirical and classify its characteristics, attempting to fit them into the structure of scientific knowledge. Or we could simply disregard the question and discuss wombats instead. Actually, this group does occasionally contain discussions of the pros and cons of suicide. Those taking the pro side don't seem to sustain their arguments very well. Last summer, this group was a veritable Normandy in a war of good and evil that spanned the net from net.religion to net.flame. Perhaps some of the brave warriors will fill us in on what the hell that was all about, anyway. As for history, net lore has it that this group was created facetiously when someone suggested a group to discuss motorcycles. Another case of serendipity bringing us better living through technology. Or in this case, better dying. Bob Lied ihnp4!ihlts!lied
hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) (01/30/84)
The net.suicide I knew got started as a result of someone flaming that there should be such a group for people who ride motorcycles without helmets. There may have been later things going on that actually led to its real creation. Bimmler was the login account, if one can believe the tortuous chain of deception and insult, of one Elizabeth Bimmler, who went on vacation for a month or two and failed to make her login secure from worms. Needless to say, a worm decided to use her account to launch venomous and truly unwarranted attacks on any number of people. The account was on "rabbit" and maybe jj will tell us what happened there, but probably not. Well, every time I post to this group, someone suggests that I should go off and self-immolate, so I will forestall them by pouring gasoline on my terminal and . . . kldjsagf sgk