[plug] "the debate"

[Bret Busby]

Methinks perhaps that lump of irony that someone tried to use, wasn't heavy
enough!

It was weird that someone should post the messages that were posted, so
strongly pro window$, but after the haze cleared, and it became clear that
the email addresses at the end of the message were changing, and the name
Bill G Gruff didn't match the greg at networx, and the Bill G Gruff didn't
really take too much thinking to figure Billy Goat Gruff; it became a bit
more amusing to watch the flies hit the web. The seriousness of the messages
was also a bit dubious, given the "Thought Assassin" part at the end; it was
clear that it was just baiting.

In retrospect, the message, where you were talking to Matt at networx, and
would ask him who this Bill G Gruff was, was a nice touch, and, as shown,
should have led to the big click; this person is using the same email
address as Bill G Gruff!

I think the procmail kill filter was perhaps a rather large fly hitting the
web, especially with the "nuke-em" attitude, the same as applied, by the
empire, overseas, at present.

No-one answered the query about who did in the Billy Goat Gruff, but it
appears, from the text below, that no-one did, so Bill G Gruff lives to do
more trolling...

Bret Busby
bret at clearsol.iinet.net.au
Fax/phone:    +61 8 9399 3820
_____________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-plug at linux.org.au [mailto:owner-plug at linux.org.au]On Behalf
Of Greg Mildenhall
Sent: 01 April 1999 14:12
To: plug at linux.org.au
Subject: Re: [plug] "the debate"


On Thu, 1 Apr 1999, Peter Caffin wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Apr 1999, Leon Brooks wrote:
> > Roger Yerramsetti wrote:
> > > ok... i took the bait. so sue me ;-)
> > Did you ever! (-: Doesn't _anyone_ read headers these days? :-)
> Personally, I didn't recognise the email address. I added
> greg at networx.net.au in my .procmail kill filter without blinking an eye.

I think what he is referring to is that the first post I sent under my
real name, since I originally wrote it as extended sarcasm until I
realised it probably looked like a troll - which was why I signed it Bill
so that noone would think I was serious.
After Justin thought I was serious I wished I'd just put smileys in
instead, but when I got David's reply it made it worthwhile. :)
I wasn't actually expecting anyone to take it seriously - I gave's Bill's
email address as Thought.Assassin at aol.com, for heaven's sake. :)
Even those who don't know that Thought Assassin used to be in my name
field when I was first on the list should twig to the fact that an aol
user is unlikely to post to PLUG.
Of course, when the next mails claimed to be from yahoo, msn, hotmail,
etc....

Basically I thought I was giving it away every mail I sent, but the
broader the hints got, the further they went over people's heads.
It has really taught me something about how clear you need to be in
communication via email or news.
You guy's are gonna hafta endure even more smileys in my posts from now
on. :)

-Greg Mildenhall
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From: eliza <eliza at sacredspiral.com>

THE THREE BILLY GOAYS GRUFF

Once on a time there were three Billy Goats who were to go up to the
hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff." On
the way up was a bridge over a stream they had to cross; and under the
bridge lived a great ugly troll, with eyes as big as saucers and a nose as
long as a poker.
So first of all came the youngest Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge.
"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"Oh! it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff; and I'm going up to te
hillside to make myself fat," said the Billy Goat, with such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the Billy
Goat. "Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes; he's much bigger."
"Well! be off with you," said the Troll.
A little while after, came the second Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge.
"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"Oh! it's the second Billy Goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hillside to
make myself fat," said the Billy Goat, who hadn't such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, no! don't take me. Wait a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes;
he's much bigger."
"Very well! be off with you," said the Troll.
But just then came the big Billy Goat Gruff.
"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge, for the
Billy Goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
"WHO'S THAT tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"IT'S I! THE BIG BILLY GOAT GRUFF," said the Billy Goat, who had an ugly
hoarse voice of his own.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," roared the Troll.

"Well, come along! I've got two spears,
And I'll poke your eyeballs out at your ears;
I've got besides two curling-stones,
And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones."

That was what the Billy Goat said; and so he flew at the Troll, and poked
him and knocked him, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him
out into the burn, and after that he went up to the hillside. There the
Billy Goats got so fat that they were scarce able to walk home again; and if
the fat hasn't fallen off them, why they're still fat; and so --

"Snip, snap, snout,
This tale's told out."
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