THE project began with high hopes, excitement even. Though people later came to think it just dumb, founded on a mistake so obvious that those who started it deserved its consequences, no one raised objections until well after the project was operating. True, everyone said it would be a long venture, probably not producing results for many generations. But at the beginning the newspapers carried frequent reports on its progress ("Nothing yet"). Practical jokers would call saying, "Is this the Interstellar Communications Project? Well I'm a BEM you'd be interested in talking to," or "I have a collect call for the Interstellar Communications Projects from the constellation of Sagittarius. Will you accept the charges?" It was in the public eye, looked fondly upon.

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