---
title: "U.K. Hoax Exposed"
type: "article"
slug: "u-k-hoax-exposed"
url: "http://localhost/article/u-k-hoax-exposed/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/u-k-hoax-exposed.md"
published_at: "2020-10-27T17:09:15+00:00"
modified_at: "2025-09-24T08:19:16+00:00"
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  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "Last April, the British counterpart to this magazine, Sinclair User, ran a program entitled “Machine Code Converter\" that was amazingly economical — only 27 lines long. “Now a brilliant piece of programming enables the Basic programmer to convert his listing automatically into machine code by LOADing from a tape or by entering the program line…"
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  - name: "1983"
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publication: "Timex Sinclair User"
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  id: 10278
  title: "Timex Sinclair User"
  type: "periodical"
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volume: "1"
issue: "2"
issues_articles:
  - id: 26867
    title: "Timex Sinclair User n2"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/timex-sinclair-user-n2/"
pages: "14"
pubdate: "July 1983"
archive_link: false
volumeissue: "v1n2"
---

# U.K. Hoax Exposed

Last April, the British counterpart to this magazine, Sinclair User, ran a program entitled “Machine Code Converter” that was amazingly economical — only 27 lines long. “Now a brilliant piece of programming enables the Basic programmer to convert his listing automatically into machine code by LOADing from a tape or by entering the program line by line from the keyboard,” claimed the instructions alongside the program. But readers discovered differently when they tried if and found an unexpected message printed on their screens: APRIL FOOLS!

“We got great feedback on this,’’ says Editor Nigel Clark. “Most of our readers just loved it. But one man was so disgusted he cancelled his subscription.”

Oh well, seems some people can’t take a joke,