how many believe this?

Internet Cleaning


DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET FROM APRIL 1st @ 11:59 pm UNTIL 12:01am
APRIL 3rd.


*** Attention ***


It's that time again! As many of you know, each year the Internet must
be shut down for 24 hours in order to allow it to be cleaned. The
cleaning process, which eliminates dead email and inactive ftp, www and
gopher sites, allows for a better-working and faster Internet.


This year, the cleaning process will take place from 23:59 pm (GMT) on
April 1st until 00:01 am (GMT) on April 3rd. During that 24-hour period,
five powerful Internet-crawling robots 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:
Disconnect all terminals and local area networks from their
Internet connections.
Shut down all Internet servers, or disconnect them from the
Internet.
Disconnect all disks and hard drives from any connections to the
Internet.
Refrain from connecting any computer to the Internet in any way.


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


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.


P.S. APRIL FOOLS! Happy Friday!