You aren't going to believe this, but AOL is featuring Mahir, calling him an "international stud muffin." Like USAToday, it repeats the suggestion that it was having his page "hijacked" with the disco music, etc., that made him famous. Truly, truly bizarre. I will try to send it to you, but I fear that only people with an AOL account can read it.
Edit: here it is, the best I can do, cut and paste:
>>>>>Mahir's Story
Until very recently, Mahir Cagri was unknown outside of Izmir, Turkey, where he works as a journalist and teacher. He lives alone. He owns a house, a car and an aging computer. He has two university degrees, knows several languages, and likes to meet people.
Last week, a great many people met him --- but not in a way he had anticipated.
It happened like this: Mahir had made a home page on the World Wide Web. It was a straightforward site: some snapshots and text about himself and his interests. Early this month, someone decided to play a little joke on Mahir by starting a new site for him. The prankster used Mahir's pictures and some of the text --- and added new text about his interest in meeting women and taking nude pictures of them.
People saw the new site. They found it amusing. And traffic to the bogus Mahir home page zoomed. Five hundred thousand people visited, then 700,000, then a million. Mahir finally discovered who had hijacked his home page. And the prankster apologized.
But by then, the press was interested in Mahir. Turkish newspapers featured him on the front page. Salon.com and USA Today have written about him. And Mahir Cagri was an international celebrity.
So who is Mahir? On his home page, he tells us...
His interests: "I like sports. In a week 2 times I swim, 2 times play table tennis, 2-3 times play basketball and mostly walk or ride my bicycle. I can play the accordion, flute and the Turkish instrument called saz. Once a week I go to the classical music concerts. I'm interested in journalism, astronomy, internet, taking photos. I like animals."
His take on celebrity: "I became a well-known person in the world, although I didn't want to be. I became the headlines of many newspapers and TV in different countries. My messages ran over a number of 1 millon, and still going on. New web-pages including my photos were running over the internet. There were people hanging my photos on their walls, and sending me messages that they love me."
His conclusion: "Whatever happens, my page had a positive trends, and unexpected record....I'm too happy that I made lots of people laugh and for a minute i could take them away from their private problems."
What he'd like to happen next: "I want you all to think about the realities of the world."
Questions he'd like you to think about:
"How many children are starving all through the world?
How many children lose their families, or are violated or become disabled during the wars that they even don't know why it happened?
How many children are being sold, or made to work and fight?
Do you know what is happening in CHECENIA?
How many people in the world die of cold and hunger?
How many people are prisoned or violated because of the way they think or wear?
How many animals are being killed by the people, or how many are in the danger of extinction?
How the environment is ruined?
How many people are made to take drugs?
How many guns are provided in the firms and how many people are being killed with those guns? Just think of yourselves, what do you do to solve all these problems? What do you plan to do for those people?"
What he'd like you to remember: "The world is our common house. Let's not forget that it's given us to use in a good way. Whatever language, religion, race and thougths we have, we are still brothers and sisters. Let's love each other, and be each others friends. Let's share, share everything we have as possible as we can. Let's love and be loved."
To visit Mahir's new site, click here. Mahir has kindly preserved the exact content from his original 'hijacked' site here, along with links to his story in his own words.
[NOTE: You do NOT need to download the browser plug-in in order to access the site. When you see the download prompt, click the "Cancel" box.]
To return to the Mahir special feature, click on Mahir, The Internet Heartthrob<<<<< |
