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Many readers of this message will be only too familiar with the text:

> This program posts news to thousands of machines throughout the
> entire civilized world. Your message will cost the net hundreds 
> if not thousands of dollars to send everywhere.
>
> Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this? [yn] 

Which sounds quite reasonable, but begs the question of why have a 
news system if posting is to be discouraged.

And, what would happen if this sort of "discouragement" was to catch on....

			ON A PUBLISHER'S DOOR

This publishing company has outlets around the world. Should your book be
published, hundreds, if not thousands of trees will be felled to produce the
original print run. Should your book become popular, this amount may be 
multiplied several times. Should your book become a best-seller, millions
of dollars may be spent purchasing copies, generating other costs of accounting,
storage, etc. Should you become a topical author, you may even appear on
TV talk shows, which cost television networks huge sums of money to produce.
Should your book become an all-time classic, copies may be sold during long
stretches of future history, obliterating whole forests, costing many
millions of dollars, and requiring the whole lives of academics to study and
teach the true meaning of your work.

Are you sure that you want to do this? [yn]

			ON A PATENT OFFICE DOOR

This patent office is a government agent. Should you decide to patent your
invention, copies of all documentation must be stored in triplicate for a 
minimum of 20 years, costing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Should
a commercial interest decide to implement your invention on a commercial 
scale, tens of millions of dollars could be required in tooling and production
costs. Should your invention have military applications, it could be responsible
for hundreds if not thousands of deaths. Should your invention turn out to
be a new destructive force far in excess of anything known and potentially
deadly in the wrong hands, it could be responsible for the end of life as we
know it on this planet.

Are you sure that you want to do this? [yn]

			IN A SURGERY

The patient you are now operating on is a citizen of [Insert Country Here],
with rights guaranteed by law and quite possibly having a very large number
of nosy relatives. Should you cut that blood vessel, and be unable to stem
the flow of blood you may have a malpractice suit served on you in double
quick time, costing your insurance company thousands, if not millions of
dollars.

Are you sure that you want to do this? [yn]

			IN A TELEPHONE BOOTH

The phone number you have just dialed is that of your wife. The person who
answers the phone may not in fact be your wife, but a gruff male voice, unknown
to you. Should this happen you may be involved in legal expenses costing 
thousands of dollars, have to sell your house, and only be able to see your
children on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Are you sure that you want to do this? [yn]

			AT A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING

You have just pressed the "wait" button for this pedestrian crossing. When
the traffic light turns red to allow you to cross, it is possible that one
or more of the cars stopping will not stop safely but rear-end the car in
front. This can result in hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of damage.
Should injury result, thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars of
public money may be spent on the medical treatment for this person.

Are you sure that you want to do this? [yn]


Ross-c

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