Usenet 1993 July/InfoMagic USENET CD-ROM July 1993.ISO/answers/shenanigans-faq

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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!biosci!parc!decwrl!ames!haven.umd.edu!uunet!world!mgm
From: [e-mail] (michael g moncur)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: alt.shenanigans - FAQ and guidelines for posting
Summary: This is a brief discussion of the purpose of the alt.shenanigans
        newsgroup, which deals with practical jokes, pranks, shenanigans,
        and other silliness.  Please read it before posting.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 15 May 93 07:05:14 GMT
Expires: Sat, 5 Jun 1993 00:00:00 GMT
Followup-To: alt.shenanigans
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
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Approved: [e-mail]
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.shenanigans:1672 alt.answers:309 news.answers:8494

Archive-name: shenanigans-faq
Last-modified: 1993/05/13
Version: 1.00

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
       - alt.shenanigans - FAQ and guidelines for posting -
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

   This newsgroup was created for the discussion of harmless
practical jokes, known herein as "shenanigans".  Such things as
practical jokes, pranks, and tricks, and generally just acting silly,
are also discussed.  Obviously I can't control what is posted, so
there are no rules - but this document should give you some idea of
what the group is for.

   The entirety of the alt.shenanigans newsgroup, from day one, is
preserved in the alt.shenanigans archive.  For information on this,
and on the shenanigans mailing list, see topic #5 below.

This FAQ is maintained by michael moncur ([e-mail])
with help and/or suggestions from:

Charles Perkins ([e-mail])
Thomas Lund ([e-mail])
Daniel Reinker ([e-mail])
Curt Siffert ([e-mail])

   If you have any ideas for additions to this FAQ, please send them
to me ([e-mail]).

=============================

CONTENTS:

 1.  What exactly is a shenanigan?
 2.  What ISN'T a shenanigan?
 3.  What NOT to post in alt.shenanigans
 4.  Books relating to shenanigans
 5.  Resources for useful materials
 6.  Shenanigan info available online, related newsgroups, etc.

=============================

---------------------------------
1.  What exactly is a shenanigan?
---------------------------------
A shenanigan is something that is done for no purpose other than to
confuse or fool its intended victim.  Shenanigans differ from the
mainstream usage of "practical jokes" or "pranks" in that they are,
above all, harmless.  Throwing eggs at someone's car is a prank;
driving backwards through the drive-thru window at an eating
establishment is a shenanigan.

 Although there is much overlap between practical jokes, pranks, and
shenanigans, I would like to make this distinction:  The victim
responds to a prank by saying, "Damn those kids!" or "I'll get you for
this."  A shenanigan, on the other hand, receives a response such as
"Why would anyone go to the trouble?" or "I don't get it." from
'normal' citizens, or is responded to in kind by a fellow follower of
shenaniganism.

  In short, if you laugh at it, even if you're the victim...  It's
probably a shenanigan.

  It should be noted that this is strictly "my" definition of the
term, and any similarity to your definition or the dictionary's is
entirely coincidental.

-----------------------------
2.  What ISN'T a shenanigan?
-----------------------------

- Physically harmful things, such as putting Nair in a shampoo bottle,
ex-lax in someone's food, or sugar in their gas tank.

- VANDALISM.  Putting bubble-bath in a fountain, breaking things,
repainting people's mailboxes or houses.  Sometimes funny, but these
are pranks, and usually illegal, and not shenanigans.

- THEFT.  Switching price tags (if you actually BUY the things),
stealing books from libraries, etc.

- RUDENESS.  Saran-wrapping toilets.  Throwing water balloons at
ANYONE who wasn't expecting them.  Anything that forces someone to
change their clothes.

   Bear in mind that there can not be a solid list of "what is/isn't a
shenanigan", since it varies depending on the victim.  For example,
throwing water balloons at businessmen is not a shenanigan, but
throwing them at your brother may be okay; throwing water balloons at
me is okay, but throwing them at President Clinton is a Felony in the
United States.

   One final rule as to what is a shenanigan...  When in doubt, post
it anyway.  The worst that can happen is a silly flamewar, and when a
flamewar happens on alt.shenanigans, it's hard to tell if it's real
or fake.

----------------------------------------
3.  What NOT to post in alt.shenanigans
----------------------------------------

 Once again, I'm not in any control - but these are some things that you
may regret if you post them.

1.  I'm really annoyed with X.  Could everyone do me a favor and send
    really huge files to his mailing address?

 There are two major reasons not to post this:  first, it's stupid,
blatant, and harms everyone by overrunning the bandwidth of the net.
Second, this is alt.shenanigans - if you're foolish enough to post this,
expect the mail to come to YOUR address instead.
  However, if you see such a post, PLEASE just ignore it.  You don't
really know if the person who posted it was even using his own account,
and everyone will suffer.

2.  What can I do about the guy who always parks in my parking space?

  I don't know why, but these questions keep coming up.  The answer is
simple - ask him not to.  If that doesn't work, you're on your own.  A
shenanigan might confuse him, annoy him, or make him mad, but I doubt it
will convince him to stop parking there.

3.  Can a stream of urine conduct electricity?

  Nobody knows for sure, and there's no point in arguing about it.  If
you insist on finding out, there's only one sure way to do so.
  Similar technical flamewars erupt occasionally on all sorts of topics,
and the only thing they have in common is that nobody knows all of the
facts.  Try moving to a newsgroup that actually deals with the topic.

4.  You can't even spell 'onamatopaeia', so why do you think you know so
    much?

  Well, I know that all newsgroups are plagued by spelling flames, but I
can dream, can't I?

--------------------------------
4.  Books related to shenanigans
--------------------------------

 [This list should be much larger.  If you've got any such books,
kindly mail me the info as below.]

- Richard P. Feynman, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

 Feynman was one of the world's greatest theoretical physicists and
was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics; but this is not a book about
science.  It's a collection of stories from his past, ranging from
scientific discovery to meeting girls - and many of them are
first-rate shenanigans.  An excellent book, particularly if you think
that scientists are boring.

- Richard P. Feynman, "What Do _You_ Care What Other People Think"

 A second book by Feynman, this one is mostly serious.  It includes
some stories from his past, and the latter half of the book tells of
his experience in the committee that studied the "Challenger
Disaster".  Despite a more serious tone, it's a funny and enjoyable
book.  Feynman died in 1988, and will be missed.

- Penn Jillette and Teller, "How to Play With Your Food"

 A collection of food-related magic tricks, shenanigans, pranks,
and humorous stories.  Includes props for some of the tricks.

- Penn Jillette and Teller, "Penn & Teller's Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends"

 Another collection by Penn and Teller, again with props included.

- The Journal or Irreproducible Results (periodical)

 This journal publishes parodies of scientific studies.  It is conceivable
that any shenanigan with the pretense of scientific rigor or possible
technological utility could be sent in for publication.  (unfortunately,
I can't find the address for submissions, or I'd include it now)

- Games Magazine (periodical)

Games has a lot of puzzles, brain teasers, contests, and information on
gaming in general.  It also, however, presents a lot of dirty tricks
including fake ads, practical jokes (every april issue), and even a
really evil Penn & Teller trick.  Some of the past articles have
discussed practical jokes, carnival gaffs, and sucker bets.

----------------------------------
5.  Resources for useful materials
----------------------------------

  Since creativity is at the heart of shenanigans, there is no set of
"tools" that one needs; What one needs is merely the right attitude.
Nonetheless, some items just inspire shenanigans, and it's nice to
keep a few handy.

 [ Please send additions to this list to [e-mail] ]

Johnson Smith Company
4514 19th St. Court East
PO Box 25500
Bradenton, FL  34206-5500

  This company sells all of the "classic" practical joke items - joy
buzzers, water balloons, fake parking tickets, ad infinitum.  Send for
a catalog.

Oriental Trading Company
P.O. Box 3407
Omaha, NE  68103-0407
[phone]

  OTC doesn't sell anything that is intended for practical jokes -
but it's a goldmine for the creative shenaniganster.  Balloons, rubber
balls, plastic fish, funky toy sunglasses, stickers...  All sold by
the dozen or by the gross, at incredibly good prices.  Call and ask
for their catalog - they'll ship it UPS for free.

American Science and Surplus
PO Box 48838
Niles, IL
60714-0838

  A catalog with scientific-type stuff, possibly useful for shenanigans.
I haven't actually seen this one yet.

Edmund Scientific Company
101 E. Gloucester Pike
Barrington, NJ  08007-1380
[phone]

  Another scientific supply house.  A bit on the expensive side, but they
do have alot of useful items for the technically-oriented shenaniganite,
and a few bizarre novelty items - magnets of all sorts, telescopes and
lenses, weather balloons, and of course Sea Monkeys.

 ... and of course, the produce section at your local supermarket.  You'd
be amazed at how many strange looks you can get just by carrying a
vegetable or two.

---------------------------------------------------------------
6.  Shenanigan info available online, related newsgroups, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------

  Related newsgroups:  alt.folklore.urban is a newsgroup that deals
with "urban legends", and many shenanigans are urban legends - the
kidnapped garden gnome that sent postcards from throughout the
country, the students who stole all of the barber poles in a town...
Of course, these might have happened, probably more than once.  You
may also want to check out talk.bizarre, alt.folklore.computers,
alt.fan.lemurs, and of course alt.fan.Henry-J-Tillman.

  The alt.shenanigans archive:  All of the posts, good and bad, from
alt.shenanigans - down to the first post - are in this archive.  It's
usually within a week of up-to-date.  It's at elf.TN.Cornell.EDU, in
the pub/shenanigans directory.  If you have trouble accessing it, or
don't have FTP access, send mail to [e-mail], and we can
possibly make other arrangements.

  The shenanigans mailing list:  This mailing list exists
independently of alt.shenanigans, and is used for planning
'unpublicized' shenanigans.  For further information, send mail to
[e-mail] .

-------------------------
This FAQ is Copyright (C) 1993, michael moncur.  It may be distributed
in any form as long as the file, including this notice, remains
intact.  Please send suggestions, updates, and corrections to
[e-mail].  Close cover before striking.  Do not hang from
towel or insert head into towel loop.

--
~`~` michael moncur, BC, OEADM - [e-mail] - [e-mail] ~`~`
"Anybody can win unless there happens to be a second entry."
                -- George Ada