("Quid coniuratio est?")
I get a lot of interesting e-mail. This latest message brought to mind something that a former Chicago disk jockey, Larry Lujack, used to have every day on his radio show: the klunk letter of the day.
I'm not going to do this "klunk letter" business often, but once in a while an e-mail message rises far above the ordinary and achieves greatness. So here is the Klunk Letter of the Day, which comes to us from "Wally".
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On Fri, 8 Sep 1995 "Wally" wrote:
>> You wrote me Sept. 6:
>>
>> If you can remember to, I ask that you try to address all
>> correspondence to bigred@duracef.shout.net and avoid using
>> the bigxc@prairienet.org address. This will be a big help
>> to me as the prairienet system is becoming increasingly
>> difficult to utilize. Many thanks if you will try to do this.
Now here's what "Wally" writes to me:
> I gotta confess I'm a tad confused... I don't recall sending any messages
> to you via conspire@prairienet.org. Did I? Or did I send you something
> intended for someone else by mistake?? Please fill me in.
>
> "Wally"
Now here's what I wrote back:
Well you see, Wally, the message I sent not only went to you; it went to thousands and thousands of people just like you!
You see, you are on a mailing list: that is this neat thing that lets me send messages to thousands and thousands of people just like you!
So that means that thousands and thousands of people read the above message -- even though I just sent it out one time only!
Of course, I did not get a reply from thousands and thousands of people saying, "Hey. I don't get it. Why are you writing to me about this?"
Just imagine that, Wally, if thousands and thousands of people had written back to me saying, "Hey. I don't get it. Why are you writing to me about this?" Just imagine that, if they all had responded to that mass mailing. I would have had to respond to thousands and thousands of people!
Luckily, most folks understood that the message was a mass mailing and was not singling them out personally.
Maybe you can think like this; maybe this will help: suppose that in the future you decide to send me an e-mail message. In that case, now you will know to send it to bigred@shout.net
Thanks for writing, Wally. I've got to go now. I've got to answer 10 other messages that asked me the same thing.
Bye for now. Hope to hear from you in the future.
I encourage distribution of "Conspiracy Nation."