View source for Alt.binaries.slack

{{lowercase title}}
'''alt.binaries.slack''' is a [[Usenet]] newsgroup<ref>{{cite book
| last          = Braun
| first         = Eric Eugene
| title         = The Internet Directory: Version 2.0
| edition       = 2nd
| date          = 1996-05-21
| publisher     = [[Ballantine Books]]
| isbn          = 0-449-98370-6
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last          = Braun
| first          = Eric Eugene
| title          = The Internet Directory: A Guide to Internet, Usenet, and Bitnet
| edition          = 1st
| date          = 1993-11-02
| publisher          = [[Ballantine Books]]
| isbn          = 0-449-90898-4
| page          = [https://archive.org/details/internetdirector0000brau/page/277 277]
| url          = https://archive.org/details/internetdirector0000brau/page/277
}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 |last=Stephens 
 |first=Paul 
 |author2=Weston, Robert Hardwick 
 |year=2008 
 |title=Free Time: Overwork as an Ontological Condition 
 |journal=Social Text
 |volume=26 
 |issue=1 (94)
 |page=160 
 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] 
 |doi=10.1215/01642472-2007-023 
 |url=http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/26/1_94/137.pdf
|url-access=subscription
 |access-date=2009-05-23 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617015211/http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/26/1_94/137.pdf 
 |archive-date=17 June 2009 
 |url-status=live 
}}
*{{lay source |template=cite web |title=Free Time: Overwork as an Ontological Condition |type=Abstract |url=http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/1_94/137 |website=Duke University Press}}
</ref> created for the purpose of posting pictures, sounds, and utilities related to the [[Church of the SubGenius]],<ref name="Wired Magazine: S.P.(U.T.U.)M. Shames Spammer into a Rage" /><ref name="alt.config">{{cite newsgroup
| title       = PROPOSAL: alt.slack.multimedia
| author      = Modemac
| date        = 1995-01-30
| newsgroup   = alt.config
|message-id= modemacD38qJz.3tC@netcom.com
}}</ref> making them available for everyone to see and hear. Because the Church of the SubGenius is well known for encouraging sick and twisted humor, the newsgroup is also home to artists who post humorous artwork of all sorts (including some pieces that may be considered distasteful). A fair amount of the pictures on ''alt.binaries.slack'' are adult-oriented, and may be considered offensive by some viewers. The [[wikt:denizen|denizens]] of the newsgroup state that they enjoy deliberately offending those who are too easily offended.

In spite of the crude nature of some of the pictures and sounds posted to the newsgroup, many of its regular contributors have displayed considerable talent. Computer graphics artists often visit ''alt.binaries.slack'' to show off their latest experimental works, along with underground musicians who want to expose their music to a "unique" audience.

The [[clip art]] image of [[J.R. "Bob" Dobbs]], the founder of the Church of the SubGenius, is commonly seen on ''alt.binaries.slack,'' where he appears regularly in images by many artists. Proper etiquette on the newsgroup dictates that credit be given where it is due, and acknowledgment of the ownership of "Bob's" image by the Church is accepted by the regular newsgroup participants.

Shortly after its creation, {{citation needed span|text=via forged Usenet control messages|date=December 2010}} in 1995,<ref name="alt.config" /><ref>{{cite book
| last          = Greer
| first         = Charles Douglas
| title         = Religions of Man: Facts, Fibs, Fears and Fables
| date          = 2008-12-19
| publisher     = AuthorHouse
| isbn          = 978-1-4389-0831-1
| pages         = 84&nbsp;– 85
}}</ref> the newsgroup was targeted by [[warez]] traders, who tried to use it for the distribution of pirated commercial software. The users of the newsgroup responded by forming their own internal "police force" for the newsgroup, known as the ''SubGenius Police, Usenet Tactical Unit - Mobile'' ([[Sputum|SPUTUM]]).<ref>{{cite journal
| last        = Atchison
| first       = Chris
|date=September 2000
| title       = Emerging styles of social control on the internet: Justice denied
| journal     = Critical Criminology
| volume      = 9
| issue       = 1&nbsp;– 2
|page=85
| publisher   = [[Springer Netherlands]]
| issn        = 1205-8629
| doi         = 10.1007/BF02461039
| s2cid = 144821992
}}</ref><ref name="netsurfer digest">
{{cite journal
 |date         = 1997-09-06
 |title        = SubGenius SPUTUM vs. Spammers
 |journal      = Netsurfer Digest
 |volume       = 03
 |issue        = 28
 |series       = Online Culture
 |publisher    = Netsurfer Communications, Inc.
 |url          = http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/sub/v03/nsd.03.28.html#OC1
 |access-date   = 2009-05-23
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081120052852/http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/sub/v03/nsd.03.28.html#OC1
 |archive-date = 2008-11-20
 |url-status     = dead
}}
</ref> This group of Internet-savvy people embarked on a successful campaign to drive the ''warez'' traders out of the newsgroup.<ref name="netsurfer digest" /> They then turned their resources and skills towards the ongoing problem of [[spamming|spam]] on the Internet. As a result, the users of ''alt.binaries.slack'' pride themselves on having one of the most spam-free binaries newsgroups on Usenet.<ref name="Wired Magazine: Not in My Newsgroup!">{{cite magazine
| url         = https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/04/2921
| title       = Not in My Newsgroup!
| access-date  = 2009-05-23
| last        = Frauenfelder
| first       = Mark
| author-link  = Mark Frauenfelder
| date        = 1997-04-02
| magazine        = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired magazine]]
| publisher   = [[Condé Nast Publications]]
}}</ref>

A protracted 1997 [[flame war]]<ref name="Wired Magazine: S.P.(U.T.U.)M. Shames Spammer into a Rage">{{cite magazine
 |url         = http://wired-vig.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/03/2749
 |title       = S.P.(U.T.U.)M. Shames Spammer into a Rage
 |access-date  = 2009-05-22
 |last        = Frauenfelder
 |first       = Mark
 |author-link  = Mark Frauenfelder
 |date        = 1997-03-25
 |magazine        = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired magazine]]
 |publisher   = [[Condé Nast Publications]]
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://archive.today/20130209122105/http://wired-vig.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/03/2749
 |archive-date = 2013-02-09
}}</ref><ref name="10,000 Newsgroup Postings Deleted">{{cite web
| url         = http://www.pcworld.com/article/5510/10000_newsgroup_postings_deleted.html
| title       = 10,000 Newsgroup Postings Deleted: Usenet Cancel Engine permits deliberate destruction of Usenet postings.
| access-date  = 2009-05-27
| last        = McWilliams
| first       = Brian
| date        = 1997-10-23
| work        = [[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]
| publisher   = [[International Data Group|IDG]]
}}</ref> erupted between newsgroup users and [[Mike Enlow]], the self-proclaimed "world's most-respected information broker/technology marketing consultant", who spammed the newsgroups with an advertisement that included a picture of himself. ABS regulars began digitally manipulating the photo in various means and setting up webpages of their "Enlow Art". Before long dozens of mirror websites were set up on servers around the world. The length and hostility of the flame war led some ABS regulars to question how far "[[parody]]ing" should go.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/eyes/gallery.html SubGenius ''Art Mines'']&nbsp;– archive of images from ''alt.binaries.slack'' (contains adult images)
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[[Category:Church of the SubGenius]]
[[Category:Newsgroups]]