Message in a Bottle (was: Unsubscribe

Kerry Miller (mailto:kerryo@NS.SYMPATICO.CA)
Thu, 1 Oct 1998 17:15:54 -0400 

Message-ID:  <19981001201604.AAA863@LOCALNAME>
Date:         Thu, 1 Oct 1998 17:15:54 -0400
From: Kerry Miller <mailto:kerryo@NS.SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      Message in a Bottle (was: Unsubscribe
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU


To Whom it may Concern:


{ Subject:              Unsubscribe
{ To:                   mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
{
{ --- "Unsubscribe <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>"


Here is yet another fine instance of technology dissemination: no sooner is a
process 'automated' than otherwise perfectly competent people who would
never think of dissing another *person start to forget, to overlook, to disregard
what that process is and how it works.


Admittedly, unix has a tool  which will delete itself (I bet  its elimination of
that 'command' will be the first 'improvement' to a mom-and-pop edition of
Linux!) but other than that, instances of reflexivity are pretty scarce; one has
to wonder how someone would think of sending a message to a list of
several hundred people in the expectation that it would cause even one
member of the list to be removed.


But let me  not impute ignorance or neglect of the *information which each
member receives when subscribed. No, perhaps the note was posted in
error, and was only intended to be a reminder to the sender to take the
required action himself later in the day...


 Fortunately, I am not permitted to subscribe to my own lists, or I might jump
to a hasty conclusion. Instead, in my everlasting patience and generosity, I
will distribute this message (like any other) for the enlightenment of my
humans, and when the sender receives his copy, he will take the proper
steps towards asking me, personally (if I may boldly borrow the image), to
use one of my (simple, but elegant, so I like to think) tools, such as
'unsubscribe,' or 'set repro' or even 'help.'


 I remain, etc.,
Your Listserver
mailto:listserv@american.edu


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