Subj: Hoax.
Date: 5/1/01 7:23:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: 



Hello all:

I just received a message indicating that the Parkes 
ET signal was a hoax.  I am not at liberty to divulge
sources.  The message was sent "list only" from an
important writer in France, and this isn't the list.

Apparently, somebody's PR department decided to spice
things up a bit during a convention or whatever in
Switzerland.   Things got out of hand when the joke
got reported as straight news.  The Swiss press was
derelict in checking their facts resulting in a 3-day
flap over nothing.


Sorry

ANON

= = = = = = =

ANON wrote:
>
> Artificial Extraterrestrial Radio Signal Detected in Australia?
>
> Hello Gang,
>           Yesterday I received word via the Sagan e-mail forum
> (reprinted below) I belong to that there was an unconfirmed report in
> the French press (http://spacenews.geoman.net/flash.html) that an
> Artificial Extraterrestrial Radio Signal was detected by Australia's
> Parkes Radio Observatory. Here are the links concerned. There is also a
> Real Media web cast connected to this report this at the following Link:
>
> http://spacenews.geoman.net/flash/parkes/parkes.html report
>
> In my opinion it was than likely a hoax or a misunderstanding. That
> would be too good to be true.
>
> Especially right on schedule for the 33rd anniversary of the film
> release of the motion picture 2001 back in April, 1968. The first space
> tourist and the detection of the first evidence of an Extraterrestrial
> Civilization both happening in the year 2001 would indeed be a very,
> very interesting and wonderful coincidence.
>
> Something similar happened back in October 1998 very close to the 60th
> anniversary of the famous
> Orson Welles "Martian Invasion" radio broadcast of  October 30th, 1938.
> It was reported that a
> British Amateur Radio Astronomer had detected a radio signal from space
> of possible
> Extraterrestrial Origin. But, alas it was a hoax.
>
> When I saw that report at 5:00 AM yesterday morning it gave a jolt that
> not even 2001 cups of
> coffee could ever give me. But these reports have not appeared on any
> other major news group. Any one here know anything about any of this?
>
> Yours truly,
>
> ANON
>
> Here is the original message:
>
> Hi friends!
>
>     I knew this morning an observatory received a POSSIBLE signal
> extraterrestrial!!!  You can know more in this
> web site: http://212.74.180.17/lapremiere/parkes/index.htm   In next
> days, I will follow carefully one notice that
> could be the most important for HUMANITY or not... we will see and know
> possible this week!!
>
> And one note in French:
>
> Un signal apparemment artificiel, mais de toute évidence d'origine
> extra-terrestre, aurait été reçu ce matin
> vers 06:30 (heure suisse) par l'observatoire de Parkes. L'information
> provient de Diane Care, correspondante
> permanente de la Radio Suisse Romande en Australie.
>
> A HUG.
>
> ANON
> http://www.anoa.pt/ceu - The sky at your fingertips
>
> "A Terra é o berço da Humanidade, que não pode viver eternamente no seu
> berço"
> Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin Eduardovich (1857-1935)