[Usenet: truncation of `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.behavior; a `nom de Usenet', often associated with forged
postings designed to conceal message origins. Perhaps the best-known
and funniest hoax of this type is {B1FF}. See also {tentacle}.
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 famous series 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 was settled only when the perpetrator
came forward to publicly admit the hoax.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {B1FF}{Dissociated Press}{doubled sig}{sock puppet}{tentacle}]