The fatwa against spam tolerant Excite@Home -- which threatened to excommunicate the company from Usenet -- has been lifted. Although Excite@Home will be relieved that the nuclear option was avoided this time, it's been warned that if levels of abuse and lack of response return to their earlier levels within the next month, the Usenet Death Penalty (UDP) will go into effect "without notice". Faced with a UDP, it appears Excite@Home had little option but to meet the demands of the Usenet community and get its own house in order. According to early estimates, spam infringements originating from Excite@Home are just a tenth of what they were a week ago. A statement from Usenet read: "The response from Excite@Home, Rogers@Home, Shaw@Home, their affiliates and partners, to this call for an Usenet Death Penalty action has been outstanding. "Because of the rapid and positive response from the people at @Home Network, the Usenet Death Penalty...has been lifted." Aaaahhh, isn't it nice to have a happy ending just once in a while? ® Related items: Usenet Death Penalty issued for Excite@Home