NAME

       flame — reply to Usenet News posting automatically

SYNOPSIS

       flame [options] [filename]

DESCRIPTION

       Flame is a AI tool providing an automated method for replying to articles posted to Usenet News.  Special
       care is paid to allow the user to specify the type of  reply  he  desires.   The  following  options  are
       supported by flame:

       --     Take input from stdin.

       -x regexp
              Crosspost to all newsgroups matching regexp.

       -n number
              Post this reply number times.

       -b     Reply in BIFF MODE.

       -d     Delay response until original posting expires.

       -m     Misdirect to a random Author.

       -r     ROT13 quotes from original posting.

       -g regexp
              Reply to all messages in newsgroups matching regexp.

       -A     Call the Author Assh*le in 12 languages.

       -B     Bait the Author.

       -C     Accuse the Author of communist leanings.

       -D     Denigrate the Author.

       -E     Picks apart the Author's educational background.

       -F     Accuse the Author of fascist leanings.

       -G     Post using Greek insult module.

       -H     Accuse the Author of homophobic leanings.

       -I     Question the Author's intelligence.

       -J     Accuse the Author of purchasing Japanese imports.

       -K     Accuse the Author of working for the KGB, MOSSAD, CIA, or MI5 as appropriate.

       -L     Post using Latin insult module.

       -M     Insult the Author's mother.

       -N     Accuse the Author of Neo-Nazi leanings.

       -O     Quote obscure references proving falsehood of the posting.

       -P     Question the Author's parentage.

       -Q     Accuse the Author of deviant sexual practices.

       -R     Accuse the Author of racist leaning.

       -S     Accuse the Author of sexist leanings.

       -T     Accuse the Author of cross dressing.

       -U     State that the Author just doesn't understand anything.

       -V     Pretend sympathy for Author's virgin sensibilities.

       -W     Accuse the Author of voting for George Bush.

       -X     Prepend obscene adjectives wherever syntactically correct.

       -Y     Accuse the Author of PLO membership.

       -Z     Accuse the Author of Zionist leanings.

ENVIRONMENT

       The  environment  variable  FLAME_TYPE can be set to any combination of the above parameters, and will be
       used as the default flame type to generate.

       The environment variable OBSCENE points to a file containing miscellaneous obscene adjectives for the  -X
       option above.

MACROS

       Macro Support will be added to the next release of flame.

AUTHOR

       Unknown

FILES

       .lastflame
              This file contains the number of the last article flamed.  Used when flameing an entire newsgroup.

       .prefflame
              This file contains the user's preferred flames.

       .altflame
              This  file  contains  alternate  phrasing  of  some of the more standard flames.  Used to keep the
              program from flaming itself.

SEE ALSO

       rn(1), more(1), newsrc(5), readnews(1), Pnews(1), Rnmail(1)

DIAGNOSTICS

       Self Documenting.

BUGS

       Occasionally, flame will turn on the user, and flame all outgoing postings.  When this happens, the  best
       thing to do reinstall your news software and flame.

                                                                                                     FLAME(1fun)