This looks completely, totally, and insanely bogus, but I

Yes. It would have made a good April Fool's joke. No reality to it whatsoever.

Anybody from MIT ever heard of "Kim Dereksen"?

No such person listed as being employed at MIT. You can check how to use the MIT on-line directory by finger help@mit.edu There's also no "Interconnected Network Maintenance staff" at MIT, that I know about.

your users will be able to read it. Please pass this message on to other sysops and Internet users as well. Thank you.

This makes it a chain letter. NO! ================ Seth Finkelstein sethf@mit.edu