From the Mailbag
Dear Julia -Don't you think it's rather rude to not answer your e-mail? I understand time issues and all, but, I mailed you and was waiting for your answer. It's not like I was just saying, Good site. I needed that information, as was clear from my letter. I just think you should have responded, even to say no response.
- Milly, in Georgia Julia Responds...
Dear Milly,
It is somewhat rude to not answer my e-mail, but I am simply incapable of doing so. It's more than just a time issue, it's a sleep issue. I need to get four hours of sleep at night at a minimum in order to get my job done adequately and not fall over in meetings into a giant drooling snorting pile o' person. So I budget my personal web time carefully. Site updates take precedence. Than I go for the e-mail. My mom gets the first response, than my father and brother. Friends come next, and then extended family. Site suggestions and fixes get placed on the appropiate list for when I turn my attention to that particular section. Than come the witty and interesting e-mail from random strangers. I sometimes respond to these. Than comes the bizarre e-mail which I print out and hang up at whatever cube I'm squatting in.
Unfortunately, Milly, I'm in a very cranky mood today, and all of my tact has long since left. Your question was neither unique nor personally interesting. You told me in your message that you need to know about the Roman Empire. By Monday. That was the substance of your question. There aren't enough pixels in the state of Virginia for me to even start telling you what I know, and there aren't enough pixels in the universe to tell you every single detail. Your question - excuse me - your demand (for that is how it came off) was not particularly courteous to me. If you had bothered to read the FAQ, you would have been aware that you had a really low chance of getting a response.
It would behoove you next time you are waiting for someone on the 'net to provide you with the answers you seek to think about what you are doing. Relying on an anonymous stranger with a pluffy little web site to provide information for you isn't always wise. 'Tis far better to do your own research and to find your own answers. And you can do it well in time of your deadline.
Maybe it is time to put that big ol' disclaimer back on the pages that I won't do research projects or homework, figure out paper topics, fax anyone anything, or do web searches that the individual mailing me isn't capable of his own self. Of course, it didn't seem to stop anyone before from mailing me and ordering me to do X, Y, or Z for them back then.
Maybe it is time to find an autoresponder. Feh.