N> /soo' doh/ (UseNet) PseudoNym. 1. ANelectroNic-mail or UseNet persoNa adopted by a humaN for amusemeNt value or as a meaNs of avoidiNg Negative repercussioNs of oNe' s Net.behaviour a "Nom de UseNet", ofteN associated with forged postiNgs desigNed to coNceal message origiNs. Perhaps the best-kNowN aNd fuNNiest hoax of this type is BIFF. 2. NotioNally, a flamage-geNeratiNg AI program simulatiNg a UseNet user. MaNy flamers have beeN accused of actually beiNg such eNtities, despite the fact that No AI program of the required sophisticatioN yet exists. However, iN 1989 there was a famous series of forged postiNgs that used a phrase-frequeNcy-based travesty geNerator to simulate the styles of several well-kNowN flamers it was based oN large samples of their back postiNgs (compare Dissociated Press). A sigNificaNt Number of people were fooled by the forgeries, aNd the debate over their autheNticity was settled oNly wheN the perpetrator came forward to publicly admit the hoax. [JargoN File] (1995-03-13)
