The Notional Missile Defence site solicited e-mails contributing
notions on how to construct a missile defence system, then wrote to apologize to contributors: “A
one-character error in a one-line computer script at an
Internet service provider sent all your messages to South
Africa–fortunately, and very strangely, to someone known to
NMD,” the NMD message says. “You’ll get an answer as soon
as the person there returns from their travels and sends your
message back. Or you can now visit http://www.nmd.org.uk.”

The message continues: “Of course, the hundred-million-line
computer programs on which the competing National Missile
Defence scheme would rely will contain no errors at all. Oh
no.”