When I opened my e-mail box 1/2 hour ago, I found the following message from the Fracprogrammers list. This list generates so little traffic that I had almost forgotten that I was sub- scribed. After a long, dragged-out and irritating day, the letter caught me in just the wrong mood, and I am really fuming. This time I shall not count to 10 before posting. BEGIN MESSAGE FRAGMENT FROM FRACPROGRAMMERS LIST============
Your mail address jamth@mindspring.com has been removed from the fracprogrammers-list@terindell.com mailinglist. It generated an excessive amount of bounced mails.
Before sending in a subscription request to fracprogrammers-list- request@terindell.com again, please ensure that this problem has been resolved. When in doubt, ask your system administrator or send mail to "postmaster".
END MESSAGE FRAGMENT======================================== System administrator, whoever you are: In reply, I would suggest that you (the 'system administrator'), should resolve *YOUR* problem instead of trying to shuffle the responsibility onto me. Don't try to blame worms or viruses or spammers. Don't say that the message was generated automatical- ly. Don't blame equipment failure. Don't say you are too busy. Making excuses such as these merely confirms your own deficien- cies and justifies my anger. Stand up like a man and accept your responsibility. If the list had been run properly, this would not have happened. I have not posted a message to the fracprogrammers list for several years, though I lurk constantly. A quick search of the meager archives will reveal no messages from me. It is absurd to accuse me of posting through the fracprogrammers list gibberish messages with questionable attachments to non-existent addresses when I have not posted a thing since 1998. By this letter, I do not mean to imply that you are a shamefully poor administrator; I mean to state it outright, with no possibil- ity of being mis-understood. Until you assure me that *you* have solved *your* problem with running the list, I have no intention of re-subscribing. When the problem has been solved, contact me, explain the steps that have been taken, and I might consider re-subscribing. If this letter has offended you, contact me privately and I'll see if I can do anything to help you control your anger. And despite my harsh words, I do sympathize with you, for I do realize how humiliating it is to have one's deficiencies made public. Awaiting your sincere apology and corrective measures: Jim M. (If I'm wrong, I'll say I'm sorry.)