bouncing messages

[jbray%BBN-UNIX at sri-unix.UUCP]

From:  James Bray <jbray at BBN-UNIX>


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Date: 13 Jun 83 13:27:42-PDT (Mon)
To: Unix-Wizards at brl-vgr
From: decvax!wivax!linus!vaxine!ptw at ucb-vax
Subject: Re: Mail security
Article-I.D.: vaxine.214
In-Reply-To: Article <2029 at 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 at 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...