/Soo' doh/ (USenet) PSeudonym. 1. An electronic-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 iSBIFF. 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 famouSSerieS 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 waSSettled only when the perpetrator came forward to publicly admit the hoax. [Jargon File] (1995-03-13)
