---- Actually, the character of Markku J. Saarelainen in 1999 and 2000 was the invention of William A. Nelson who used the identity of Markku J. Saarelainen to try to capture some ex-KGB officers who were specializing in encryption and cryptography. Actually, William A. Nelson was not able to capture any using the character, because the project went wrong and only one Finnish person (not a KGB officer, but some information security expert) came. He provided some specific information for this character. So William A. Nelson was just using the identity of Markku J. Saarelainen. There was never a real person, Markku J. Saarelainen, on the USENET - he was just designed and modeled after a real experimentation and was doing what William A. Nelson wanted this character to do on the Internet. Actually, the project lasted for some time in 1999 and 2000. I wish that this helped you. Greetings, William A. Nelson ----- ---------------------------------------------------- Markku "Mark" J. Saarelainen P.O. Box 2314 Duluth, GA 30096 Tel: USA-678-377-6346 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://homestead.virtualjerusalem.com/waeg/ DISCLAIMER: No thought written in this message is a statement of any organization by which I am employed or for which I work. -----------------------------------------------------