If you need something from me, it's probably worth your effort to follow these guidelines for sending me mail.

1. Questions get answers.

I read every personally addressed e-mail that arrives in my mailbox and everything from a few select mailing lists. I respond to every e-mail containing a question unless something disasterous happens and my mailspools get deleted between regular backups. If you don't have a response in three days or less, I never got it.

2. If I knew more about (topic), it would be posted on my web site already.

Please don't ask me to do your research for you. You'll be ignored.

3. Short questions get prompt answers.

I sort all incoming mail by size. Yes, size. If you are prone to long verbiage, please tone it down a bit if you expect a prompt reply. My replies to formal notes usually run no longer than two or three lines. If I can do it, so can you. All personal mail under 3,000 bytes is answered within about 24 hours or less. The smaller the note, the quicker you can expect a response.

4. Yes, I heard it before.

If you include me on a forward of an urban legend, I will reply with appropriate citations and embarass you in front of all of yours friends when I carbon copy them all on the debunking. Don't be surprised.

5. If you don't know me, don't send me private stuff.

I reserve my right to report on the contents of all e-mail received. If you write to threaten or flame me, I may reply in context and in public. All confidentiality and ownership disclaimers in the footers of e-mails sent to me without a preexisting written agreement will be summarily disregarded.

6. My spam filter is overly aggressive sometimes.

Put the string 000393DEFD20 anywhere in the message to deliver it directly to my personal mailbox.

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