# Public Announcement - PLEASE read

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 22, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162 "2000-05-22T04:03:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162/1 "2000-05-22T04:03:36Z")

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I received this email today at 9:51 and would like to make an assurance, and ask a question.

> [@](#):
>
> Subject: See that our game got you banned  
> Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 22:51:42 -0400  
> From: “Kinski” \<[kinski@thethirdshift.net](mailto:kinski@thethirdshift.net)\>  
> To: \<[homer@micoks.net](mailto:homer@micoks.net)\>
> 
> Hello there HopelessIdjit, I see that our little game got you banned from your forum. That is too bad.
> 
> ```
> - ThirdShift
> 
> ```

First, I would like to state that I’m not banned, and most certainly not HopelessIdjit.

Second, I’d like to ask if anyone knows who this is, and if anyone else got this, or similar, email.

–Tim

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**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162/2 "2000-05-22T04:04:59Z")

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Beats me. Maybe asking Tuba in ATMB would be more apropriate.

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**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162/3 "2000-05-22T04:13:30Z")

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Yeah, Dave, but I’m lazy. And I figure since I’m NOT banned, it was some pathetic joke. So I’d rather know if anyone else got anything like this. Punitive actions can be handled later.

–Tim

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-announcement-please-read/20162/4 "2000-05-22T20:19:33Z")

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No, really, go over to ATMB. There’ve been a few cases of people’s profiles showing the wrong e-mail… Someone accidentally got a bunch of pictures intended for techchick, for example. Presumably, the same thing happened here: Somehow, your e-mail address showed up in Idjit’s profile, and someone trying to send a message to Idjit got you, instead. It’s nt anyone’s fault, unless you want to go blaming the programmers (probably unfair, they’re trying their best). I can note, too, that you name is very close to HopelessIdjit’s, alphabetically… I’ll bet it’s an “off by one” error, those are very common in programming.