Internetcleaning

DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET FROM MARCH 31st 23:59 pm (GMT) UNTIL 12:01am
(GMT) APRIL 1st.

*** Attention ***

It's that time again! As many of you know, each year the Internet must be shut
down for 24 hours in order to allow us to clean it. The cleaning process, which
eliminates dead email and inactive ftp, www and gopher sites, allows for a
better-working and faster Internet.

This year, the cleaning process will take place from 23:59 pm (GMT) on March
31st until 00:01 am (GMT) on April 2nd. During that 24-hour period, five
powerful Internet-crawling robots situated around the world will search the
Internet and delete any data that they find.

In order to protect your valuable data from deletion we ask that you do the
following:

1. Disconnect all terminals and local area networks from their Internet
connections.

2. Shut down all Internet servers, or disconnect them from the
Internet.

3. Disconnect all disks and hardrives from any connections to the
Internet.

4. Refrain from connecting any computer to the Internet in any way. We
understand the inconvenience that this may cause some Internet users, and we
apologize. However, we are certain that any inconveniences will be more than
made up for by the increased speed and efficiency of the Internet, once it has
been cleared of electronic flotsam and jetsam.

We thank you for your cooperation.

Interconnected Network Maintenance Staff
Main Branch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sysops and others: Since the last Internet cleaning, the number of Internet
users has grown dramatically. Please assist us in alerting the public of the
upcoming Internet cleaning by posting this message where your users will be
able to read it.

Please pass this message on to other sysops and Internet users as well.