[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] Deja vu wormus

Mills@UDEL.EDU (11/05/88)

Folks,

Several years ago when the Internet was but a wee tot I happened a booboo in
my GGP implementation which resulted in a severely retarded routing update
sent to a gateway of what became the BBN core gateways system. The update
caused the gateway to crash, but not before replicating the update sent to
all of its neighbors, which promptly redistributed it and crashed as well.
This of course was a worm, although I can't say whether I, John Shoch or
John Brunner can claim the First Worm Award.

To cover my embarassment, I noticed in the world news that a company of
mercenaries, later found to be in the pay of South Africa, had just invaded
Madagascar, but were repulsed. I therefore caused my boo to become known as
the Great Commando Raid to put the best spin I could on it and all my dear
friends seemed to have forgiven me. The legend is sometimes whispered as
a lesson to aspiring undergrad programmers.

Comes now the Worm of 88, which will surely become known to the worldwide
community. Now, I see in the news that India has sent mercenaries to the
Maldives, sleepy little islands in the same sea as Madagascar, itself a
largish island. I don't mind telling you the coincidence is unsettling,
perhaps less so because the mercs seem to have been successful in thier raid.

Dave

bzs@pinocchio.UUCP (Barry Shein) (11/08/88)

Speaking of dates, Nov 3, 1988 (The Day of the Loud Worm) is also,
according to the Mt Xinu calendar, the 5th anniversary of the 4.2BSD
release.

	-Barry Shein, ||Encore||

kumar@hpindda.HP.COM (Krishna Kumar) (11/08/88)

Just a technical point, Dave -- India sent troops (on the request of the
govt. of the Maldives) to fight the mercenaries who
wanted to overthrow the government of the Maldives. And, as far as I know,
the mercs were successful only in capturing a radio station, and the troops
otherwise succeeded in quelling the coup attempt. 

Regards,
krishna kumar,
Business Networks, HP.

Disclaimer: These views are mine and not HP's, etc. etc...

Mills@UDEL.EDU (11/08/88)

Folks,

My apologies to Dheeraj and others who quickly pointed out my error, which
resulted from reading a local paper early in the incident. I and/or the
paper got it backwards. No political or motivational comment was intended
other than the spooky coincidence, which still stands.

Dave

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From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@chakra.cs.umd.edu>
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To: Mills@UDEL.EDU
Subject: Re:  Deja vu wormus
Cc: dheeraj@tove.umd.edu


> Now, I see in the news that India has sent mercenaries to the
> Maldives, sleepy little islands in the same sea as Madagascar,
> itself a largish island.

> Dave

Hi,
	It is not correct that India has sent mercenaries to the
Maldives. The mercenaries were from Sri Lanka, hired by a politician
in Maldives. India interfered on the request of Maldives government
and forced the mercenaries to flee.

-dheeraj

Dheeraj Sanghi					(301)-454-1516  (off)
Systems Design & Analysis Group			(301)-345-6024	(home)
Dept of CS, U of MD., College Pk. MD -20742	dheeraj@tove.umd.edu

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