I enjoy interesting and relevant email. Before you send email, though, you should know my rules of email etiquette.
I discard most email.
Once upon a time, I filtered messages from spammers. Now I rely on a whitelist: if your address isn't on my list, your email will be discarded unread, unless you include the pass word metonymy in the subject line or body of your message. You only need to add the pass word to the first message you send; my email program will automatically add you to the whitelist.
Be relevant.
If a message doesn't refer to my Web site or the sender isn't recognized, it will be considered an email address validation troll and discarded unread. This is due to spamanoia.
If a message says "pass this on", don't.
Most viral messages are hoaxes. Learn to identify and avoid them.
As for non-hoaxes, if you consider a viral message important enough to pass on, then it should also be important enough that you are willing to personally explain why I should spend my time reading it. Viral messages without such introductions will be discarded unread.
Don't give out email addresses.
An email address should never be given to a third party or publicly posted without the consent of its owner. Web-based "tell a friend" and "email this article" features are often email address-harvesting schemes. Don't fall for them.
Spam is always unwelcome.
I never want to receive unsolicited advertising, commercial or not. Individuals or organizations that violate local, state, or federal law in this matter may be referred to law enforcement agencies.
If it's cute, funny, or amusing, don't forward it to me.
99.99% of what passes for humor on the Internet isn't funny. In the past few years I've received only one email that was both humorous and worth keeping. Please don't send me this kind of item. An acceptable forwarding rate is one item per year.
I don't install third-party plugins for my Web browser, so sending me URLs of Flash or Shockwave animations is a futile endeavor. Thanks for the thought.
Don't attach large files (>40 KB).
If there's something I should see, put it on a Web or FTP site and send me the URL. I'll grab it as soon as I can, then notify you that I've done so. Otherwise, please don't attach items larger than 40 KB without prior arrangement.
Executables = garbage can.
Unsolicited executables will be deleted unexecuted.
Virus-infected files = permanent banishment.
If you send a virus-infected file, I'll immediately create a filter which discards your email unread. There's no excuse for not using virus-scanning software.
Don't be abusive.
The Internet is a place for civil discourse. Let's keep it that way. I welcome email from people who disagree with me politely.
Here are some tips for new correspondents:
I have little sense of humor about these rules. You will be warned after a first offense (with the one exception noted above); after the second, your email will be discarded unread.
I respond sooner to specific questions and statements than to vague "how are you?" questions. If you want me to respond, give me something to respond to!
Be concise and interesting; I want to know what you liked about my site, and even more what you didn't. I appreciate reports of errors, be they HTML, spelling, or of fact.
My email program does not render HTML well, so I prefer plain text messages.
My record of maintaining "getting-to-know-you" correspondences is atrocious. It often takes me weeks to respond to email of this type. With rare exceptions, correspondences with people I don't already know peter out after a few exchanges. In short, don't expect much.
I sign my email with PGP. My RSA public key is available from this site and public RSA key servers. If you receive email from me without a PGP signature, or with an invalid signature, please let me know. (Cryptocats: I use an old version of PGP, so if you want to send me an encrypted message, you'll have to use RSA & MD5.)
Now that you've made it this far, you might be interested to know that my user id is half and my mail provider is rdrop.com. Put them together and you have my email address. Don't forget the pass word.
Last updated 28 February 2007
http://www.rdrop.com/~half/Personal/Life/ContactInformation.html
All contents ©1997-2003 Mark L. Irons