From SueNoTV@aol.com Thu Mar 21 19:56:00 1996 To: adam at xent dot com Subject: Another HUMOR-Type newsletter Hi. I see that you subscribe to HUMOR and thought you might be interested in hearing about another internet humor newsletter It is called the Cameron Column. It comes out one to two times a month and, unlike HUMOR, deals with a single subject rather than a whole bunch. It never has an associated download file, and never runs more than a page or two. The writer is a friend of mine, which is why I am taking the time to write you on it. It is free, and it is hilarious, silly, goofy, and worth reading, in my humble opinion. Given that you read HUMOR, I thought you might like it. To subscribe, send any text e-mail to wbc@usa.pipeline.com with the following in the subject line: Subscribe,adam@CS.CALTECH.EDU I hope you like it. And I hope you don't mind me writing you out of the blue like this. I found out about HUMOR just this way, a message from somebody I had never heard of. Oh, and I got YOUR name by writing the word REVIEW to HUMOR, in case you are interested. If you have a good sense of humor you're going to love the Cameron Column. If you decide you don't want it, just send the word STOP in the subject line, using the same format for your e-mail address as above. Anyway, give it a try. And either way, thanks for considering. I apologize if you found this e-mail intrusive. Sue N. From wbc@usa.pipeline.com Fri Mar 22 07:35:52 1996 To: wbc@usa.pipeline.com Subject: Welcome to the Cameron Column! X-Pipeuser: WBC X-Pipehub: usa.pipeline.com X-Pipegcos: (W. Bruce Cameron) X-Mailer: Pipeline USA v3.3.0 Welcome to the Cameron Column, a FREE internet newsletter! A subscription request for your e-mail address has arrived at WBC headquarters. When this happens, the crack WBC technical team leaps into action, dropping their jelly donuts and denying responsibility. Eventually, one of these highly trained individuals stops working on his resume long enough to make sure that the message you are reading is sent. What this means is that your name is now in the top secret WBC database, and that once a week, depending on whether or not everybody called in sick (again) you will receive the newsletter. We hope you like it. This is a new, untested, and frankly dubious concept in internet services. After a few weeks, if you decide that you don't want it any more, you can stop receipt by sending a message like this: "stop," as a reply to any newsletter. If you DO like it, PLEASE help us find subscribers! Send copies freely and copiously on the network (sorry, hard copy distribution is not allowed) and recommend it to strangers on the street. Call people on the phone and, after the usual heavy breathing, mutter "subscribe to the Cameron Column" and hang up. (I know it sounds crazy, but it works--that's how I was able to get my mother to sign up, at any rate.) Thanks again for signing up for the newsletter! And now for FAQ's Q: How do I stop this stupid thing from showing up in my e-mail every week? A: Pretty simple. Send an e-mail message to WBC@usa.pipeline.com with the subject = "Stop," Don't neglect the comma! In the body of the letter, please tell us what we might have done to retain your interest. Q: How do I send a copy to a friend? A: Most e-mail packages have some sort of forwarding mechanism. We would love it if you would send a copy to a friend. Q: Can I print some excerpts in my company newsletter? A: Sorry, no, not without permission. Please e-mail your request for reprinting guidelines and we will send them to you. The Cameron Column is copyrighted and may be distributed freely in electronic form only. Q: Can I just sign up a friend? A: As much as we would like this, the practice of sending unsolicited e-mail is known as "spamming." The word indicates how unpleasant this must be for some people. At a minimum, then, we need a copy of an e-mail requesting a subscription before we can start sending someone the column. Q: Hey, I don't want my e-mail address given out to people. A: Well, that wasn't exactly posed like a question, but it deserves answering anyway. The Cameron Column is strictly one way: No one can obtain your e-mail address from our list. There is no way to "dial in" to our "server," because we frankly aren't smart enough to have that kind of stuff. Nor is our subscriber list for sale. This wouldn't work otherwise. Q: I would love to have W. Bruce Cameron's picture. A: Believe us, no you wouldn't. Q: When is Cameron going to get a REAL job? A: What would he write about then? Q: Can I write Cameron and tell him what I think of all this? A: Yes, just send a reply to the e-mail address on the newsletter. And please be gentle. Q: What does FAQ stand for? A: We are Frequently Asked this Question, and we have no idea. -- W. Bruce Cameron