This is directed to the remaining 9,983[1] subscribers to the NANOG list who have *not yet* sent email to announce the fact that they are lurkers. (I think I heard someone say that there were 10,000[1] people on the list, but maybe it was only 1,000, or 100 - I'm old, and bad with numbers and have A.D.D. and all that). But whatever the number... if you believe you have to post a message to show that you exist... DON'T. No-one really cares. Please go read Jim Popovich's misunderstood post which started this whole thing: http://www.merit.edu/mail.archives/nanog/msg01009.html Read Joe Yao's follow up, logically letting those subscribers from the now recognized slow learning crowd know that Jim was describing actions he took for *other* lists that *he* controlled. Not NANOG. And if you still don't get it, read Jim's confirmation of Joe's hypothesis. But *please please*, don't post a message just because you think that if you don't, you'll be unsubscribed. If this was a list I had any influence over, I would use the fact that a subscriber posts a defensive message as canonical evidence of lack of clue, and instantly drop them from the list. [1] And yes, if the number is anything close to 10,000, we can make the assumption that the list is comprised predominantly of hoisl's classmates (a free NANOG 27 t-shirt to the first person who recalls and provides a link showing the connection :-)). And if you do know what the reference is, check that no-one has yet provided it before doing so - don't become a hoisl yourself. /rlj Speaking only for myself.