KOOK-Code

KOOK-Code (and its related KOOK-Number) are codes for people who were named on attempted moderation lists of account addresses and personal information. The code labels these list-makers as the eponymous “kooks”, many of whom had been previously labeled as “Kook of the Month”. A frequent subject of contention is whose messages warranted cancellation as spam.

As poster George Herbert summarized at the time:

Kooks Code 2; roughly equivalent to the Geek Code, used to indicate how often you’re insulted by people who generally fall under the categories which are most often recognized in the monthly Kook-of-the-Month award voting.

From the original spec:

Calculating your KOOK-Number is simple: just add up the number of enemy lists you’ve appeared in! As a bonus, if the person who makes the list is ever voted KoTM, all of their lists count double! So if you made Fomin’s “Sandlot Bullies” list, you get a KOOK-Number of 1. If you made John Grubor’s “USENET SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA” list, you get a 2, since Grubor was named KoTM for December. If you made both, you get a 3.

[…]

Once everyone starts proudly displaying their KOOK-Numbers, soon to become major status symbols, people will naturally want to know how your KOOK-number was earned, especially if it’s a high one. Hence, the KOOK-Code, suitable for framing or inclusion in your signature. It’s simple to understand: For each kook-enemy list you appear on, your KOOK-Code block contains the creator’s name, followed by a ”+” for each list they include you in. If they’ve made KoTM, show their extra-special status by putting their name, and ”+” signs, in parentheses, with “*2” at the end. For example:

Fomin’s list only:
KC: Fomin+

Fomin’s list, and Grubor’s:
KC: (Grubor+)*2 Fomin+

One of the lists in question was Fomin’s “Blacklist of Net.Nazis and Sandlot Bullies”, which contained addresses, phone numbers, and unsourced accusations against accounts to which the list-maker objected. This has been cited as an early example of doxing.