Important Notice"

To: All Internet Users

From: Kim Dereksen

Interconnected Network Maintenance staff
Main branch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Subject: Internet Cleaning

PLEASE PASS THIS NOTICE TO OTHER USERS
WHO MAY NOT SEE IT!

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 e-mail
and inactive ftp, www and gopher sites, allows for a
better-working and faster Internet.

This year, the cleaning process will take place from
12:01 a.m.GMT on April 1 until 12:01 a.m. GMT on
April 2. During that 24-hour period, five very powerful
Japanese built multi-lingual Internet-crawling robots
(Toshiba ML-2274) 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 hard drives from any
connections to the Internet.

4. Refrain from connecting any computer to the
Internet in any way.

5. Avoid placing operating microwave ovens or
toaster/toaster ovens near your computer modem.

6. Avoid wearing nylon (or other dielectric fiber)
undergarments because of the possibility of
electrical discharge.

We understand the inconvenience that this may
cause some Internet users, and we apologize.
However, we are certain that any inconvenience
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.

Kim Dereksen

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.

Thank you.


A P R I L F O O L S ! ! !