Heaven's Gate (author unknown)

[Burt, David]

RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIFORNIA, APRIL 1 -
The 39 men and women found dead after an apparent mass suicide were
evidently web developers who were despondent about the delayed release
of
Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer 4.0 web browser.  The victims
were all members of a web design firm called "Higher Source Contract
Enterprises."

The San Diego County Sheriff's department confirmed the finding of a
suicide note located in the Windows "Recycle Bin" of one of the servers
used by the group.  In the note, one of the Higher Source employees was
quoted as saying "We can't take the wait anymore" and "life is just
unbearable without IE 4.0."

A Microsoft employee who asked not to be named confirmed that
approximately
2,751 requests had been received from Higher Source members to join the
beta testing program for the Internet Explorer software, but that these
requests had gone unanswered.  "The betareq people are overloaded with
requests," he said.  "We're still trying to finish fulfilling kits for
the
Windows 95 Preview Program."

At least two of Higher Source's clients admitted that Higher Source
representatives had promised them web sites built using Internet
Explorer
4.0.  One client said that he had been promised a "Dynamic HTML web site
with CDF push channels" by April 1, 1997.  Authorities have speculated
that
it was this impending deadline, along with the inability to obtain the
required software, that might have prompted the group to rash action.

Crime scene photos show that at least some members of Higher Source
attempted to switch to Netscape Corporation technology at the last
minute.
In some of the photographs, open manuals for Netscape's "Constellation"
beta software can be seen with handwritten notes in the margin such as
"THIS DOESN'T WORK!!!!" and "NOT CSS COMPLIANT!!!!"
"Higher Source believed a rumor posted on Usenet that IE 4.0 Platform
Preview was available on a rogue FTP site located behind the Hale-Bopp
comet," said a spokesperson for the Sheriff's department.  "They
believed
they needed to become 'one' with the comet in order to download Internet
Explorer."

Forensic pathologists have speculated that the web design group's nearly
exclusive diet of Pop Tarts, pizza, and Jolt cola was a contributory
factor
in the group psychosis.

The InterNIC registry, run by Network Solutions Inc. of Herndon,
Virginia
has confirmed that there are currently no Internet sites registered on
or
behind the Hale-Bopp comet, while admitting to a 27-month backlog of
domain
name requests.

Officials at Microsoft Corporation could not be reached for comment.