So there I was, looking at the list of windows open in my browser, when I saw a 404 Not Found in there. I selected it, and nothing appeared. I tried, and tried again, but nothing there, whereupon I Got Smart old-school style and Viewed Source, which revealed that usenetarchive.org had fed me this:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC “-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN”>
<html><head>
<title>404 Not Found</title>
</head><body>
<h1>Not Found</h1>
<p>The requested URL /loading.php was not found on this server.</p>
<hr>
<address>Apache/2.0.54 (Fedora) Server at www6.paypopup.com Port 80</address>
</body></html>
The pop-up ad that site tried to feed me failed to appear because of bad coding. Isn’t that lovely?
So: Bug, feature, or laff riot?
Related link: http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/
I’ve always regretted not attending a quality school like MIT, particularly because it puts you into the company of high-class researchers, people like Ali Rahimi, who create hacks like:
On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets:
An Empirical Study
Ali Rahimi (1), Ben Recht (2), Jason Taylor (2), Noah Vawter (2)
17 Feb 2005
1: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department, MIT.
2: Media Laboratory, MIT.
Abstract
Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum helmets serve as the
protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We
investigate the efficacy of three aluminum helmet designs on a sample
group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find
that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio
frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside
source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain
frequencies are in fact greatly amplified. These amplified
frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use
according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Statistical
evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the
government’s invasive abilities. We theorize that the government may
in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.
How’s your brand-new leopard-skin tinfoil hat?
