Q: How many internet mail list subscribers does it take to change a
light bulb?

A: 1,343 - 1 to change the light bulb and to post to the mail list
that the light bulb has been changed;

14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the
light bulb could have been changed differently;

7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs;

27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light
bulbs;

53 to flame the spell checkers;

41 to correct spelling/grammar flames;

6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb";

another 6 to condemn those 6 as anal-retentive;

156 to write to the list administrator about the light bulb
discussion and its inappropriateness to this mail list;

109 to post that this list is not about light bulbs and to please
take this email exchange to litebulb-l;

203 to demand that cross posting to grammar-l, spelling-l and
illuminati-l about changing light bulbs be stopped;

111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we all use light
bulbs and therefore the posts *are* relevant to this mail list;

306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where
to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for
this technique and what brands are faulty;

27 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs;

14 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and the post the
corrected URL's;

3 to post about links they found from the URL's that are relevant to
this list which makes light bulbs relevant to this list;

33 to link all posts to date, then quote them including all headers
and footers and then add "Me too";

12 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing because they
cannot handle the light bulb controversy;

19 to quote the "Me too's" to say "Me three";

4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ;

44 to ask what is "FAQ";

4 to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago on
Usenet?"

143 to ask "what's Usenet?"


-- 
NOTE: I did not write this.  I am publishing it on the web purely for the
enjoyment of the human race.  Apologies to anyone who performed or assisted
in the creation of this document; I would have credited you if I knew who
you were.           -- Alastair Irvine, <alastair@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au>