I just wonder why they didn't say it was made up -a joke with no basis in reality. Just some poetic license.
Would that be worse than admitting/pretending they actually saw a file called cat.jpg? If there was such a file, it could have been a JPG for catalog of some kind, etc.
I think they are responding to people's first expectations and that there was actually a file with the image of a cat. I doubt it and think it was just an attempt at being funny which backfired and they felt they had to take responsibility for the perceived breach of trust and that any other explanation, even if truthful would have been seen as a weak excuse.
Would that be worse than admitting/pretending they actually saw a file called cat.jpg? If there was such a file, it could have been a JPG for catalog of some kind, etc.
I think they are responding to people's first expectations and that there was actually a file with the image of a cat. I doubt it and think it was just an attempt at being funny which backfired and they felt they had to take responsibility for the perceived breach of trust and that any other explanation, even if truthful would have been seen as a weak excuse.