Somebody posted the canned "how many list members does it take to change a light bulb". This is a rebreather forum, so the post should have been:
Date: 9/5/97
This ain't no ordinary list. This here is the rebreather list. The last post should
have read:
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How many rebreather list member postings does it take to change a light bulb?
1 from Bill Elliott to change it and post that he has done it to the "What's
new" section of the web site
1 from Jim Haberski that says Bill made it too complicated and he could have done it while
holding his breath, without a flashlight. That is if you can read past the
,,,,,....TANKS!!!,,NOTaNKs,,........ I GoT 2 OF em!!!....!!!!
1 from Robert Carmichael stating that if we had all been using his revolutionary new
candles, this wouldn't be a problem.
1 from Rich Pyle that says the protective membrane on his light bulb would have avoided
this problem
1 from George Irvine that calls Rich a liar
5 from Rich responding to George's accusations, and the private postings of four other
individuals
1 from Paul Elliott saying he just a newbie, and would somebody describe whether you
should spin the lightbulb counter-clockwise first before installing it
1 from George saying Paul has been listening to bad influences again
1 from Bill Mee backing up George. He then goes on to provide some interesting nuggets
about light emitting devices. Ultimately, though, he frowns on the use of "Electronic
light sources"
1 from Peter relating how Dude once changed a light bulb while a stripper was lap dancing
for him, followed by a discussion of where to place the spare light bulb
1 from somebody trying to unsubscribe
6 more from George because he has nothing better to do than attack everybody who has
posted so far
6 more from Rich, because he doesn't want to have less messages posted than George at the
end of the year
1 from Jeremy Downs, asking if anybody has heard of a new type of light bulb that *never*
burns out
1 from Dude that has four sentences related to light bulbs, and the rest of the post
devoted to making people laugh, just because he can
1 from Peter, because he always posts after Dude with a plug for Joe Factor's
3 from various Australians talking about how they can't believe what wusses the Americans
are, and real men build their own light bulbs.
1 more from Bill E., while he is on a business trip and checking in, asking that the topic
be returned to rebreathers
1 from Rod Farb, stating some facts about the importance of the type of metal used in the
light bulb in the first place
1 long one from James Brown, (because he can't write short posts) that discusses the
relative merits of different brands of light bulbs
1 from George calling James Brown a liar
1 from the booster club supporting George
1 from someone who was in the Navy, and says it took 48 weeks for proper training on
changing light bulbs
12 different people to complain about the lack of promised deliveries of light bulbs
1 from Rich saying his supplier of light bulbs gave him one, and 30 more are ready for
delivery "soon"
1 from Robert that says he can supply us all with candles, and the radical new technology
in his candles will soon out shine all forms of photon emitting devices
1 from George about something odd, but the real motive is to entrap Rich. Buried in the
post is a nugget of information that sheds light (excuse the pun) on extreme light bulb
changing.
5 from various people that have nothing to do with light bulb changing, but still have the
title of the original posting
1 from a light bulb manufacturer who has never posted before stating his light bulbs will
work great in this situation
1 from George, calling that manufacturer one of the "known liars"
5 more from Rich responding to various posts from George, because his time zone is
different and/or he just got back from deflating fish.
finally, 1 from Bill E. saying he was on a trip, and how he can't believe this is all the
list talked about while he was gone.
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And that, my friends, is how a light bulb is changed on the rebreather list.