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From: Pucc-H:Pucc-I:ags@CS-Mordred.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: Ignore This Article
Message-ID: <229@pucc-i>
Date: Fri, 2-Mar-84 12:59:19 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-i.229
Posted: Fri Mar  2 12:59:19 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Mar-84 00:20:56 EST
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 38

I once saw a "Test of Your Ability To Follow Instructions" which looked
something like this:

------------------------------------------

Follow the instructions carefully.

1.  Read the entire test before writing any answers.

2.  

    ...

9.  

10. Ignore all the numbered instructions.  Write your name at the top of
    the paper and turn it in.

------------------------------------------

Obviously, whoever made up this test had not thought it through carefully.
Instructions 1 and 10 turn out to be the trickiest of all.  By the time
you read #10, you realize it is already too late to ignore #1.  Even worse
than that is deciding what to do with #10, which says, in effect, 

	10.  Ignore instruction 10 (plus all the others).  Write your
	     name at the top of the paper and turn it in.

Clearly, you should not do what instruction 10 says to do.  Or should you?
Do you write your name on your paper, or not?  Do you carry out instructions
2-9?  Should you ask a self-shaving barber or a non-self-shaving barber?
-- 

Dave Seaman
..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags

"Against people who give vent to their loquacity 
by extraneous bombastic circumlocution."