jbray%BBN-UNIX@sri-unix.UUCP (06/14/83)
From: James Bray <jbray@BBN-UNIX>
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Date: 13 Jun 83 13:27:42-PDT (Mon)
To: Unix-Wizards@brl-vgr
From: decvax!wivax!linus!vaxine!ptw@ucb-vax
Subject: Re: Mail security
Article-I.D.: vaxine.214
In-Reply-To: Article <2029@sri-arpa.UUCP>
The mention of user-specifiable delivery programs and the particular idea of
notifying senders of the receiver's temporary absence brings to mind an early
experience on the ARPAnet...
Supposedly two prof.'s both went on summer sabbaticle, setting their mailers
to respond to all mail with a "I'll be back in a couple of months" message.
Just to be sure, they also sent the message out immediately to all their
colleagues they communicated with frequently.
A few days later, the whole net slowly ground to a halt as it filled with:
+------------------------------
| Re your message: "I'll be back in a couple of months...
|
*I'll* be back in a couple of months.
--Tucker (ptw@vaxine.UUCP)
(I'm still here)
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Just thought I'd forward this in case anyone hasn't seen it by now.
It is certainly amusing that a message about the net being flooded with
mutually-answering messages should itself be infinitely repeated... Makes
you believe in daemons...