Date:  Thu, 16 May 1996 22:31:56 -0400

From:  Al Futrell <awfutr01[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HOMER.LOUISVILLE.EDU>

Subject: Re: biff



Of course, "biff" is also a computer term. In the UNIX world "biff" is a

command that tells the system whether a user wants to be notified when

mail arrives. By extension, you can "biff" someone, which basically means

'interrupt' someone by sending him/her mail in the middle of a session.

You can either "biff y" or "biff n" depending on whether you want to be

notified. Now, why is it "biff?" Net folklore has it that the guy who

wrote the function named it after his dog. Who knows?





Al Futrell

-- awfutr01[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]homer.louisville.edu

-- http://www.louisville.edu/~awfutr01

Dept of Communication -- University of Louisville