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)