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The Nigerian SCO Connection [Linux/Spam Amusement Alert]
Ars Technica ^ | 8/17/2003 | Ars Technica

Posted on 08/17/2003 7:36:00 AM PDT by Eala

DEAR SIR/MADAM:

I AM MR. DARL MCBRIDE CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE SCO GROUP, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, IN LINDON, UTAH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I KNOW THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOUR BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS OR BUSINESS DEALINGS BEFORE NOW.

MY ASSOCIATES HAVE RECENTLY MADE CLAIM TO COMPUTER SOFTWARES WORTH AN ESTIMATED $1 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS. I AM WRITING TO YOU IN CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE URGENTLY REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE TO OBTAIN THESE FUNDS.

IN THE EARLY 1970S THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION DEVELOPED AT GREAT EXPENSE THE COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE KNOWN AS UNIX. UNFORTUNATELY THE LAWS OF MY COUNTRY PROHIBITED THEM FROM SELLING THESE SOFTWARES AND SO THEIR VALUABLE SOURCE CODES REMAINED PRIVATELY HELD. UNDER A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT SOME PROGRAMMERS FROM THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY DID ADD MORE CODES TO THIS OPERATING SYSTEM, INCREASING ITS VALUE, BUT NOT IN ANY WAY TO DILUTE OR DISPARAGE OUR FULL AND RIGHTFUL OWNERSHIP OF THESE CODES, DESPITE ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH AND THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY, WHICH AGREEMENT WE DENY AND DISAVOW.

IN THE YEAR 1984 A CHANGE OF REGIME IN MY COUNTRY ALLOWED THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION TO MAKE PROFITS FROM THESE SOFTWARES. IN THE YEAR 1990 OWNERSHIP OF THESE SOFTWARES WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CORPORATION UNIX SYSTEM LABORATORIES. IN THE YEAR 1993 THIS CORPORATION WAS SOLD TO THE CORPORATION NOVELL. IN THE YEAR 1994 SOME EMPLOYEES OF NOVELL FORMED THE CORPORATION CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, WHICH BEGAN TO DISTRIBUTE AN UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM KNOWN AS LINUX. IN THE YEAR 1995 NOVELL SOLD THE UNIX SOFTWARE CODES TO SCO. IN THE YEAR 2001 OCCURRED A SEPARATION OF SCO, AND THE SCO BRAND NAME AND UNIX CODES WERE ACQUIRED BY THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, AND IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL WAS RENAMED SCO GROUP, OF WHICH I CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

MY ASSOCIATES AND I OF THE SCO GROUP ARE THEREFORE THE FULL AND RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARES KNOWN AS UNIX. OUR ENGINEERS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT NO FEWER THAN SEVENTY (70) LINES OF OUR VALUABLE AND PROPRIETARY SOURCE CODES HAVE APPEARED IN THE UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM LINUX. AS YOU CAN PLAINLY SEE, THIS GIVES US A CLAIM ON THE MILLIONS OF LINES OF VALUABLE SOFTWARE CODES WHICH COMPRISE THIS LINUX AND WHICH HAS BEEN SOLD AT GREAT PROFIT TO VERY MANY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. OUR LEGAL EXPERTS HAVE ADVISED US THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THESE CODES IS WORTH AN ESTIMATED ONE (1) BILLION U.S. DOLLARS.

UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY EXTRACTING OUR FUNDS FROM THESE COMPUTER SOFTWARES. TO THIS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE MANDATE BY MY COLLEAGUES TO CONTACT YOU AND ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. WE ARE PREPARED TO SELL YOU A SHARE IN THIS ENTERPRISE, WHICH WILL SOON BE VERY PROFITABLE, THAT WILL GRANT YOU THE RIGHTS TO USE THESE VALUABLE SOFTWARES IN YOUR BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE NOT ABLE AT THIS TIME TO SET A PRICE ON THESE RIGHTS. THEREFORE IT IS OUR RESPECTFUL SUGGESTION, THAT YOU MAY BE IMMEDIATELY A PARTY TO THIS ENTERPRISE, BEFORE OTHERS ACCEPT THESE LUCRATIVE TERMS, THAT YOU SEND US THE NUMBER OF A BANKING ACCOUNT WHERE WE CAN WITHDRAW FUNDS OF A SUITABLE AMOUNT TO GUARANTEE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS ENTERPRISE. AS AN ALTERNATIVE YOU MAY SEND US THE NUMBER AND EXPIRATION DATE OF YOUR MAJOR CREDIT CARD, OR YOU MAY SEND TO US A SIGNED CHECK FROM YOUR BANKING ACCOUNT PAYABLE TO "SCO GROUP" AND WITH THE AMOUNT LEFT BLANK FOR US TO CONVENIENTLY SUPPLY.

KINDLY TREAT THIS REQUEST AS VERY IMPORTANT AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. I HONESTLY ASSURE YOU THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL AND RISK-FREE.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: ars; arstechnica; be; beos; bsd; computing; computingnews; forum; freebsd; hardware; linux; news; nigeria; nigerian; open; openbsd; os; prosumer; reviews; sppam; technica; win2k; win95; win98; windows; windows2000; winnt

1 posted on 08/17/2003 7:36:01 AM PDT by Eala
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To: Eala
I wonder how many people will byte on this one.
2 posted on 08/17/2003 7:38:43 AM PDT by punster
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To: lodwick
PING

So9

3 posted on 08/17/2003 7:39:28 AM PDT by Servant of the Nine (Real Texicans; we're grizzled, we're grumpy and we're armed)
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To: Eala; Russian Sage; rdb3; Nick Danger
For some reason, Russian Sage's earlier post got yanked. This is funny stuff.
4 posted on 08/17/2003 7:40:20 AM PDT by dighton (NLC™)
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To: dighton; Russian Sage
For some reason, Russian Sage's earlier post got yanked. This is funny stuff.

I thought so. I wonder why it was pulled? (My search didn't show it...)

5 posted on 08/17/2003 7:43:05 AM PDT by Eala (When politicians speak of children, count the spoons. - National Review Editors)
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To: Eala
Where's the, "Only total and complete dumbass's need apply" Alert?
6 posted on 08/17/2003 7:56:55 AM PDT by dagoofyfoot
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To: Eala
Hey, this makes complete sense to me. Show me the money!!

(leaves to write blank check)
7 posted on 08/17/2003 8:07:54 AM PDT by Genesis defender ("Free Republic, a hotbed of Christian Zionist opinionating.")
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To: dighton; John Robinson; B Knotts; stainlessbanner; TechJunkYard; ShadowAce; Knitebane; AppyPappy; ..
The Penguin Ping.

Wanna be Penguified? Just holla!


Click and find out!

Got root?

8 posted on 08/17/2003 8:56:48 AM PDT by rdb3 (N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S. Nupe)
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To: Eala
I was not aware that SCO was based in Nigeria
9 posted on 08/17/2003 9:28:40 AM PDT by gore3000
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To: dighton
I was reading this when it got yanked. When I refreshed, AdMod's reason was "solicitation". Guess humor is lost on some people.
10 posted on 08/17/2003 9:34:04 AM PDT by Doohickey (Hey, I need you to go down to the torpedo room and get me some tag line.)
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To: Doohickey
I was reading this when it got yanked. When I refreshed, AdMod's reason was "solicitation". Guess humor is lost on some people.

AdMod would like stuff like this marked "Parody" or such.

11 posted on 08/17/2003 4:56:45 PM PDT by Russian Sage
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To: Eala
Well gee, if this is being endosed by FreeRepublic, I guess it's legit!

I'm going to send a check, as the night-shift orderlies are hiding my credit cards again.

;^)
12 posted on 08/17/2003 6:48:32 PM PDT by headsonpikes
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To: gore3000
I was not aware that SCO was based in Nigeria

Yeah, it's address is 2 Microsoft Way, Addis Abbaba.

Right next door to the other purveyor of lies, spin and deception.

13 posted on 08/17/2003 10:01:41 PM PDT by Knitebane
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To: Golden Eagle
Get real, you been had!

14 posted on 09/18/2003 9:23:19 PM PDT by dennisw (G_d is at war with Amalek for all generations)
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To: general_re; All
Prompted by an item in today's news, bump for this great oldie.
15 posted on 03/17/2005 8:23:39 AM PST by dighton
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