Australian Critics of Scientology
This page maintained by David Gerard.

a.r.s Spam: article in internet.au

Subject: a.r.s Spam: article in internet.au
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Organization: Prestige Elite(tm) Research Church of the SubGenius

There's an article on the spam in the September issue of internet.au. Page 56.

I am annoyed that I didn't get called and that my Web page isn't mentioned, particularly as I personally told the writer of the article about the battle at great length last December, and (ahem) do happen to know a thing or two about what's been going down ... jeez. Frank Copeland's and Ron Newman's pages do get mentioned, as does www.scientology.org.

I wouldn't even mention that, except that rumour has reached me by two different vectors that the CoS told the writer (Rachel Chalmers) specifically not to mention either me or my Web page if she wanted comment from them. Of course, I'd love to hear this denied.

Now I'm really looking forward to September 7th ...

(Both people asked me not to mention this rumour, but if it comes via two different paths then it's worth mentioning.)

I'll type in the article if I can be bothered and Rachel is amenable (probably after it's off the shelves -- go buy a copy). And will be writing to or calling internet.au for a word on the matter.

It's actually a very good article. I'm just being petulant. A bit nice to the CoS for my liking, but then again they're setting themselves up as a big juicy target by even *running* the thing. It even goes to the trouble of introducing the concept of Usenet to those of the readers who have a 28.8K modem, a fast Pentium and a copy of Netscape after hearing of the 'information super- highway'.

I've been waiting ages for i.au to run something ...

Here's a good quote:

... the Sydney Public Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology, Virginia Kee. Kee acknowledged in a telephone call that it was "probably a Scientologist doing the spamming but that it "was not sanctioned by the Church".
According to Henry Bartnik, the community relations officer for the Church of Scientology in Sydney, only one person is responsible for responding to a.r.s on the Church's behalf. That person is Andrew Milne, a writer working for the Church in Los Angeles. Bartnik doubts Milne is behind the spam: "He's too savvy," he said. "It's not a very cool thing to do, is it?" The Church in Australia has not been very heavily involved with the newsgroup. "At times we've looked at it, but it's been too noisy," Bartnik said. "A lot of the material on there is so facetious, it's hardly worth responding to."

Now this is interesting. The Church is officially claiming Andrew Milne, but not Cory Brennan -- who has posted like hell, and works at LA Day Org, but according to this without official sanction. Yeah, right. They fed i.au a line and it was taken.

[posted to a.r.s and emailed to rbersten@ia.com.au and rachel@apnpc.com.au -- I have no wish to speak behind the magazine's back ... And I'll be starting sending out press releases re: September demo quite soon too.]

--
Reverend Doctor David Gerard, KoX, SP 4.04, kOh, RPG-to-be; fun@suburbia.net
Prestige Elite(tm) Research Church of the SubGenius
"Servicing the Prestige Elite(tm) since 1985!"
July 5, 1998, 7 AM. Saucers. End of the world. Your US$30 is your trip ticket.

Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: gerdw@cougar.vut.edu.au (David Gerard)
Subject: Re: a.r.s Spam: article in internet.au
Message-ID: <DvuJK0.3qM@matilda.vut.edu.au>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 01:16:47 GMT

On Thu, 8 Aug 1996 07:40:21 GMT, I wrote:

There's an article on the spam in the September issue of internet.au. Page 56.

Go buy a copy. http://www.ia.com.au/

I am annoyed that I didn't get called and that my Web page isn't
[snip]
I wouldn't even mention that, except that rumour has reached me by two different vectors that the CoS told the writer (Rachel Chalmers) specifically not to mention either me or my Web page if she wanted comment from them. Of course, I'd love to hear this denied.

Got an email from Rosanne Berstein (editor) clarifying this. The rumour is false. Will post in detail later.

(I should note here that I do know Rosanne personally. But then, welcome to Australia, where everyone knows everyone ... That her journalistic ethics are excellent should also be noted.)

(Both people asked me not to mention this rumour, but if it comes via two different paths then it's worth mentioning.)

And thankfully both were wrong.

Now this is interesting. The Church is officially claiming Andrew Milne, but not Cory Brennan -- who has posted like hell, and works at LA Day Org, but according to this without official sanction. Yeah, right. They fed i.au a line and it was taken.

Well, it was in quotes as the Church saying it. So I guess it's up to me to write a letter in response.

Incidentally, I read i.au fully after posting the message, and someone got a letter printed expressing concern at their nice review of www.scientology.org . Will type this in for yr amusement in a few days (I'm in a rush right now).

From: fjc@wossname.apana.org.au (Frank Copeland)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: a.r.s Spam: article in internet.au
Date: 9 Aug 1996 13:18:59 GMT
Message-ID: <4ufds3$1ov@thingy.apana.org.au>

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David Gerard (gerdw@cougar.vut.edu.au) wrote:

There's an article on the spam in the September issue of internet.au. Page 56.
I am annoyed that I didn't get called and that my Web page isn't mentioned, particularly as I personally told the writer of the article about the battle at great length last December, and (ahem) do happen to know a thing or two about what's been going down ... jeez. Frank Copeland's and Ron Newman's pages do get mentioned, as does www.scientology.org.

Maybe she thought one ear-bending was enough :-).

I wouldn't even mention that, except that rumour has reached me by two different vectors that the CoS told the writer (Rachel Chalmers) specifically not to mention either me or my Web page if she wanted comment from them. Of course, I'd love to hear this denied.

Any day now, a nice prominent link to your page will go on my ARS Spam Attack! page, which as you say is mentioned (in the first paragraph, no less). If Rachel indeed bought a comment for such a price, she got a bargain. Co$ just doesn't get this Internet business, does it?

[...]

It's actually a very good article. I'm just being petulant. A bit nice to the CoS for my liking, but then again they're setting themselves up as a big juicy target by even running the thing. It even goes to the trouble of introducing the concept of Usenet to those of the readers who have a 28.8K modem, a fast Pentium and a copy of Netscape after hearing of the 'information super-highway'.

I agree, it was good work.

Here's a good quote:
... the Sydney Public Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology, Virginia Kee. Kee acknowledged in a telephone call that it was "probably a Scientologist doing the spamming but that it "was not sanctioned by the Church".

Does this mean that the SpamHunters can kick back now and watch Helena 'Handbasket' Kobrin turn the full legal might of the Church O' the Holy Lawsuit on the purveyors of suspicious manufactured meat? I think I will just continue to breath normally for the moment...

According to Henry Bartnik, the community relations officer for the Church of Scientology in Sydney, only one person is responsible for responding to a.r.s on the Church's behalf. That person is Andrew Milne, a writer working for the Church in Los Angeles. Bartnik

W.W. Bosworth-Field, are you paying attention?

doubts Milne is behind the spam: "He's too savvy," he said. "It's not a very cool thing to do, is it?" The Church in Australia has not been very heavily involved with the newsgroup. "At times we've looked at it, but it's been too noisy," Bartnik said. "A lot of the material on there is so facetious, it's hardly worth responding to."

Facetious? What a review! Jokers and degraders, take a bow, your efforts have not been in vain. :-)

Frank Copeland <fjc@wossname.apana.org.au>

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--

             ____
   (\__/)  .~    ~. ))   They seek him here, they seek him there,
   /O O  ./      .'      Those clams seek Nutty everywhere,
  {__,   \    {          Is he an SP, or 1.1 churl,
    / .  . )    \        That damn'd elusive, Nutty squirr'l
    |NOTS-| \    }
   .(   _(   )_.'        Spam Attack on alt.religion.scientology:
   '---.~_ _ _&          http://daemon.apana.org.au/~fjc/scn/spam.html

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