To the Hon. M. Legare:

Please accept my nomination of Igor Chudov (ichudov@algebra.com) as the best troll ("Hook, line, and sinker") for all of 1996.

Grounds: persuading that well-known denizen of alt.usenet.kooks Bill Palmer (wilhelp@ix.netcom.com) that BP was talented enough, in BP's words, to be the "focus person" in the first (and only) newsgroup of the "innovative alt.genius hierarchy," alt.genius.bill-palmer. With BP's consent, Chudov secretly created a.g.b-p, I believe in Nov 96 (perhaps others can fill in the exact date), setting off one of Usenet's largest and longest-running flamewars between "genius" BP and a host of scoffers.

BP apparently had no suspicion he had been set up. Finally, on 2 Feb, perhaps getting bored with the game, Igor Chudov confessed, in gently ironic terms that still went right over BP's head. I.Ch. has not cross-posted anything to a.g.b-p since, though there continues a desultory flamewar involving others.

For I.Ch. to get the recognition he deserves, would we have to go public and solicit votes? It would be a shame to blow the cover on a continuing troll (BP still doesn't get it). Or can I.Ch.'s achievement simply be recognized on its merits?

I attach a letter describing I.Ch.'s modus operandi and including his 2 Feb confession.

I.Ch. is not aware that I am making this nomination, so I don't know whether he would approve.

Cheers,

Misha Goss
alias [deleted]
Attached letter follows:

----------extracts from letter to "Raoul"------------------

1. Have you followed a.g.b-p postings by that consummate troll Igor Chudov? If not, look up his 46-liner, dated 2 Feb, in his second "Kagalenko" thread (attached to end of this note.) The irony goes right over BP's head, as can be seen from BP's follow-up.

Note in particular the opening statement by Linda Gad. I.Ch's answer seems to be a tongue-in-cheek admission of culpability for creating a.g.b-p. It certainly would be within the technical capability of a notorious "creator of a dozen junk news-groups." It would also be consistent with the tone of his earlier postings to a.g.b-p, where he invites BP to pontificate, and BP repeatedly expresses puppy-like gratitude for his confidence.

Appendix: 46-liner by Igor Chudov, 2 Feb 97:

Linda Gad (linda@thelema.dnttm.rssi.ru):
* >From Igor Chudov @ home:
* 
* > Linda Gad (linda@thelema.dnttm.rssi.ru) wrote with possible deletions:
* > * Remember,
* > * Chudov is the creator of a dozen junk newsgroups  
* 
* > Do you think that alt.love is a junk newsgroup?
* > I think that it was a great idea. The group is very lively and at least
* > 20% of its traffic is on-topic. Not too bad for an alt newsgroup.
* 
* I have never visited the group on my own, so I can but guess.  
* From here, my opportunities to reach the net are pretty
* limited, and I have to use them sparingly (no offence).

No offense taken, Mrs. Gad.

* As a side note, you could have easily created an alt newsgroup
* with 100% of the traffic being on-topic.  When the name is
* something like alt.junk, or alt.posts.off-topic, such a requirement
* is inevitably met, by definition.

There are similar groups already (no offense).

By the way, to all detractors of alt.genius.bill-palmer: this group,
before its creation, has undergone a careful consideration as to
whether it will be a frequented hangout for various interested netizens,
or a waste of the namespace.

The review process has indicated that there is a significant interest of
Net users in having such a newsgroup around. The positive expectations
have been confirmed abundantly. Indeed, in the first one and a half
months of its existence, it has gotten 1200 posts, according to DejaNews.
Note also that this number is lower than the actual number of posts
there, because many posters like myself use X-No-Archive: yes headers,
preventing their articles from being archived.

Note also that most of the posts in that group are on topic and
are devoted to discussions of Bill Palmer and his intellectual
abilities. This compares rather favorably with such newsgroup as
soc.culture.russian, filled with off-topic articles.

Similarly, about a year ago, alt.love had been carefully considered and
subsequently created, and is now prospering.

igor

In <199702022012.OAA22544@manifold.algebra.com> "Igor Chudov @ home"
 writes: 
>
>Linda Gad (linda@thelema.dnttm.rssi.ru):
>* >From Igor Chudov @ home:
>* 
>* > Linda Gad (linda@thelema.dnttm.rssi.ru) wrote with possible
deletions:
* is inevitably met, by definition.
>
[...]
>
>By the way, to all detractors of alt.genius.bill-palmer: this group,
>before its creation, has undergone a careful consideration as to
>whether it will be a frequented hangout for various interested
netizens,
>or a waste of the namespace.
>
>The review process has indicated that there is a significant interest
of
>Net users in having such a newsgroup around. The positive expectations
>have been confirmed abundantly. Indeed, in the first one and a half
>months of its existence, it has gotten 1200 posts, according to
DejaNews.

I cannot stress enough how flattering it is to find
so many important people concerned with such a humble
subject as myself.