Heaven's Gate Browser woes...
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Heaven's Gate Browser woes...
RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIFORNIA
April , 997
The 29 men and women found dead after an apparent mass suicide were
evidently web developers who were despondent about the delayed release
of Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer 4.0 web browser. The
victims were all members of a web design firm called Higher Source
Contract Enterprises.
The San Diego County Sheriff's department confirmed the finding of a
suicide note located in the Windows "Recycle Bin" of one of the
servers used by the group. In the note, one of the Higher Source
employees was quoted as saying "We can't take the wait anymore" and
"life is just unbearable without IE 4.0."
A Microsoft employee who asked not to be named confirmed that
approximately 2,75 requests had been received from Higher Source
members to join the beta testing program for the Internet Explorer
software, but that these requests had gone unanswered. "The betareq
people are overloaded with requests," he said. "We're still trying to
finish fulfilling kits for the Windows 95 Preview Program."
At least two of Higher Source's clients admitted that Higher Source
representatives had promised them web sites built using Internet
Explorer 4.0. One client said that he had been promised a "Dynamic
HTML web site with CDF push channels" by April , 997. Authorities
have speculated that it was this impending deadline, along with the
inability to obtain the required software, that might have prompted
the group to rash action.
Crime scene photos show that at least some members of Higher Source
attempted to switch to Netscape Corporation technology at the last
minute. In some of the photographs, open manuals for Netscape's
"Constellation" beta software can be seen with handwritten notes in
the margin such as "THIS DOESN'T WORK!!!!" and "NOT CSS COMPLIANT!!"
"Higher Source believed a rumor posted on Usenet that IE 4.0 Platform
Preview was available on a rogue FTP site located behind
the Hale-Bopp comet," said a spokesperson for the Sheriff's
department. "They believed they needed to become 'one' with the
comet in order to download Internet Explorer."
Forensic pathologists have speculated that the web design group's
nearly exclusive diet of Pop Tarts, pizza, and Jolt cola was a
contributory factor in the group psychosis.
The InterNIC registry, run by Network Solutions Inc. of Herndon,
Virginia has confirmed that there are currently no Internet sites
registered on or behind the Hale-Bopp comet, while admitting to a
27-month backlog of domain name requests.
Officials at Microsoft Corporation could not be reached for comment.
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Entered on: 06/05/1998
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