NationStates Jolt Archive


Exxon hates humor.

Zarakon
01-07-2007, 14:41
Exxon Hacks the Yes Men

Thursday, June 28 2007 @ 08:19 PM PDT
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 4,601
Art & RevolutionOne day after the Yes Men made a joke announcement that ExxonMobil plans to turn billions of climate-change victims into a brand-new fuel called Vivoleum, the Yes Men's upstream internet service provider shut down Vivoleum.com, the Yes Men's spoof website, and cut off the Yes Men's email service, in reaction to a complaint whose source they will not identify. The provider, Broadview Networks, also made the Yes Men remove all mention of Exxon from TheYesMen.org
before they'd restore the Yes Men's email service.

From: The Yes Men <people @ theyesmen.org>
Subject: Yes Men booted by Exxon; need sysadmin badly
Sender: send26-proxypeople @ theyesmen.org

June 28, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EXXON HACKS THE YES MEN
Yes Men badly need sysadmin, server co-location

Contact: people@theyesmen.org

One day after the Yes Men made a joke announcement that ExxonMobil
plans to turn billions of climate-change victims into a brand-new
fuel called Vivoleum, the Yes Men's upstream internet service
provider shut down Vivoleum.com, the Yes Men's spoof website, and cut
off the Yes Men's email service, in reaction to a complaint whose
source they will not identify. The provider, Broadview Networks, also
made the Yes Men remove all mention of Exxon from TheYesMen.org
before they'd restore the Yes Men's email service.

The Yes Men assume the complainant was Exxon. "Since parody is
protected under US law, Exxon must think that people seeing the site
will think Vivoleum's a real Exxon product, not just a parody," said
Yes Man Mike Bonanno. "Exxon's policies do already contribute to
150,000 climate-change related deaths each year," added Yes Man Andy
Bichlbaum. "So maybe it really is credible. What a resource!"

After receiving the complaint June 15, Broadview added a "filter"
that disabled the Vivoleum.com IP address (64.115.210.59), and
furthermore prevented email from being sent from the Yes Men's
primary IP address (64.115.210.58). Even after all Exxon logos were
removed from both sites and a disclaimer was placed on Vivoleum.com
on Tuesday, Broadview would still not remove the filter. (The
disclaimer read: "Although Vivoleum is not a real ExxonMobil program,
it might as well be.")

Broadview did restore both IPs on Wednesday, after the Vivoleum.com
website was completely disabled and all mention of Exxon was removed
from TheYesMen.org.

While this problem is temporarily resolved, the story is far from
over. Meanwhile, though, two bigger problems loom, for which we're
asking your help:

1. THE YES MEN'S SERVER NEEDS A NEW HOME.

Broadview Networks provides internet connectivity to New York's
Thing.net and the websites and servers it hosts, including the Yes
Men's server. Thing.net has been a host for many years to numerous
activist and artist websites and servers.

At the end of July, Thing.net will terminate its contract with
Broadview and move its operations to Germany, where internet
expression currently benefits from a friendlier legal climate than in
the US, and where baseless threats by large corporations presumably
have less weight with providers. At that time, the Yes Men and two
other organizations with servers "co-located" at Thing.net will need
a new home for those servers. Please write to us if you can offer
such help or know of someone who can.

2. THE YES MEN NEED A SYSADMIN.

The Yes Men are desperately in need of a sysadmin. The position is
unpaid at the moment, but it shouldn't take much time for someone who
knows Debian Linux very well. It involves monitoring the server,
keeping it up-to-date, making sure email is working correctly, etc.
The person could also maintain the Yes Men's website (which will be
updated next week), if she or he wants.

Thing.net also needs a sysadmin: someone living in New York who knows
Linux well. The Thing.net position involves some money and the
rewards of working for an organization that has consistently and at
great personal risk supported groups like the Yes Men over the years.

THE YES MEN AND THING.NET THANK YOU!

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070628201953222

You'll probably remember the thread about them doing this originally. Yes, I'm aware that it's merely assumed that Exxon is responsible.

So, what do you think? Did Exxon do it? Is it okay that they did it?
SaintB
01-07-2007, 15:05
I am too tired to answer coherently.
Call to power
01-07-2007, 15:13
its a good thing jolt is in the UK :eek:
Levee en masse
01-07-2007, 17:04
its a good thing jolt is in the UK :eek:

Where we use different tactics ;)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4629399.stm
Nobel Hobos
01-07-2007, 17:23
Joke:

What it's Exxon's real name? More than one "X" looks a bit like censorship, no?

EggOn? EndOn? ExCon?
Vetalia
01-07-2007, 17:28
Hey, I'll probably end up working for Exxon...they pay damn well.
Curious Inquiry
01-07-2007, 17:28
Looks like Exxon is pretending to be the Internet Police. Spoilsports!
Minaris
01-07-2007, 17:29
This is old news.
The Lone Alliance
01-07-2007, 17:56
Joke:

What it's Exxon's real name? More than one "X" looks a bit like censorship, no?

EggOn? EndOn? ExCon?
I think the last one fits the best.

All I wonder is,
Why does Exxon hate freedom?
Zarakon
01-07-2007, 19:25
Why does Exxon hate freedom?

Yes! Why isn't Bush protecting us from the Exxonofascists?
Minaris
01-07-2007, 19:43
Yes! Why isn't Bush protecting us from the Exxonofascists?

Because...

He's one of them. :eek:
Zarakon
01-07-2007, 19:44
Because...

He's one of them. :eek:

Well, duh.

BUT WHY ELSE?
Minaris
01-07-2007, 19:47
Well, duh.

BUT WHY ELSE?

Because they bribed Darth Cheney?
Zarakon
01-07-2007, 21:24
Because they bribed Darth Cheney?

I knew it!