Re: virus: Seeking chain letters

barnowl@rain.org
Mon, 5 Feb 1996 08:38:37 -0800

Thanks for the interesting suggestion. I
have thought of using forwards to solicit
chain letters, but so far have avoided the
temptation to exploit superstition. For one,
I have a thing about never lying or misleading
people, even in "jest." There is a lot of
negativity about chain letters, and I like to be
able to say, honestly, "I have never sent out a
chain letter."
But I have noticed on the Internet there is little
reason to be as resticted in SIZE as in the paper
domain, where most replicators are only one page.
Thus we see things combining together on one page as E-mail
that circulated separately in the paper domain. So
perhaps I could put together some jokes and a chain
letter, and preface them with a short analysis and
my pitch for chain letters. That seems perfectly
ethical, and does not constitute a "chain letter"
I suppose, unless I myself asked recipients forward
copies. Dan VanArsdale
PS. Will forward to you a couple examples of these
"hybid" or "commensual" forms that I received today.