How To: RTFM.

February 23, 2001 10:22 AM

How To: RTFM. M$ steps up its Support Services. The information in this article applies to: general lamers.
posted by tallman (11 comments total)

I tried looking for the MeFi thread that explained how this works, but I can't find it via search.

Basically everything in between http:// & @ is passed a the login information to the server, so it just ignores it and dispalys the site with the part before the @ showing.
posted by riffola at 10:48 AM on February 23, 2001

Here's the thread:

http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/2346
posted by tomalak at 11:06 AM on February 23, 2001

Or http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/2346.
posted by tomalak at 11:06 AM on February 23, 2001

hee. the complex technical explanation applies to this URL, which is how I first saw this link... tallman's original post just links to the non-obfuscated address at hwnd.net, which is of course the same page, but not nearly so much fun.
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:27 AM on February 23, 2001

Well, I was getting a DNS error, but now a 404. Guess it's down.
posted by pnevares at 11:35 AM on February 23, 2001

It's okay for me right now.

*shrug*
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:48 AM on February 23, 2001

heyyyyy, its still fun!
posted by tallman at 12:11 PM on February 23, 2001

whoops, no insult intended :)
posted by Sapphireblue at 12:35 PM on February 23, 2001

I'm just wondering how long it'll be before some legal Powers That Be decide they need to smite the page off the face of the earth. I "faux URLed" a CNN-lookalike page back in November using the same snarky setup Sapphireblue mentioned; within 36 hours, Ted and company had faxed and FedExed their cease-and-desist demands in my direction.
posted by youhas at 12:37 PM on February 23, 2001

Sorry, I didn't click on the link, because I'd seen the site with the Microsoft.com in the url, a few minutes before I posted here. :)
posted by riffola at 2:40 PM on February 23, 2001

it's a trend.
posted by quonsar at 4:07 PM on February 23, 2001