Difference between revisions 738186 and 782417 on enwiki

The '''''rec.music.white-power'' newsgroup vote''' took place in [[February]] of [[1996]].  The [[newsgroup]] was proposed by Milton Kleim, a person known as one of the most vocal online proponents of the [[white supremacist]] movement, and a person who had started a number of vicious flame wars on various newsgroups.

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The newsgroup proposal was defeated with a total of 592 ''yes'' votes, versus 33,033 ''no'' votes.  Because of the extraordinary heavy vote turnout, the announcement of the final vote was delayed for eight weeks while the votes were processed.

After the final vote had been announced, Milton Kleim posted a message admitting the entire campaign for the newsgroup had been a deliberate [[
Internet troll|troll]] to bring attention to his cause.  On a newsgroup message dated [[June 6]], [[1996]], Kleim wrote: "...we succeeded beyond all expectations.  No informed North American is not now unaware of our existence on the Internet. National Public Radio, _USA Today_, the _St. Paul Pioneer Press_, and Minnesota Public Radio, to name a few media organs, gave us priceless free publicity for our ideas and our Holy Cause."

During the voting period, an unmoderated newsgroup entitled ''alt.music.white-power'' was created, but it failed to generate any discussions other than [[flame wars]].

The newsgroup vote for ''rec.music.white-power'' is remembered as one of the low points in the history of [[Usenet]].


=== External Links ===

*[http://www.sub-rosa.com/white-power/ ''rec.music.white-power'' rumor control page]
*[http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=833851386.24895%40uunet.uu.net&rnum=1 Statement by the vote moderator on the violent opposition to the newsgroup]
*[http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=edfc70e029e6b424&seekm=31C6A022.1919%40twics.com&frame=off Statement by Milton Kleim on ''rec.music.white-power'']