Stan Shebs (shebs@apple.com) [050507 07:22]:
It really depends on the era. If you have a John Mashey or Erik Fair posting from 1983, it's almost certainly authentic and authoritative (the kremvax hoax of 1984 was the first time that most of us were even aware that forged postings were possible). Conversely, anybody can print a credible-looking book these days, so one's analysis of believability has to be based on context and content, not just the mechanism of transport.
i.e., editorial judgement and reader judgement.
- d.