People really need to learn how to use listservs. They're really not hard to use, if you read the instructions. There is a sophomoric exchange happening today on the [topinfo] listserv (administered by NTIA, U.S. Dept of Commerce), where a lot of people are flooding the list with unsubscribe requests, flames, and criticisms of each other. One such comment:

From:  Shava Nerad <shava@efn.org>
Sent:  Tuesday, January 21, 2003 8:35 AM
To:  TOP Email List
Subject:  [topinfo] For those with short memories

[topinfo] is a list out of the NTIA office of the Dept of Commerce for grant info related to the Tech Opportunity Program there.

If you forgot how you got on this list, check out: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/

The poeple running the program now *understand* why you need technical assistance...;) You can stop demonstrating your need by flooding everyone's mailboxes with useless messages.

Please don't reply to the list that you shouldn't be on it.

If you want off the list, send an email to leave-topinfo@osmmail.ntia.doc.gov, just a blank message.

If you can't read the signature file, I'm sure the grant application would be an undue challenge! ;)

Shava Nerad
shava@efn.org
/* no association with NTIA other than profound gratitude for work they've done with Lane County, Oregon and Oregon Public Networking */

If people knew how to use listservs, this wouldn't have happened. A little education could go a long way in the real world...

In other news, it came as no shock to me (and I'm sure neither for many others) that clones are not duplicates. Just because you can clone a person or an animal, doesn't mean that they'll even remotely look like the same creature, let alone act like it.