Inbox

Welcome
to the inaugural installment of Inbox,
a column dedicated to remarkable emails. Inbox began in 2002 as the only annual zine dedicated to preserving email. The
initial concept was a spoof on museums that try to preserve and catalogue the
completely meaningless trifles of life. However, after receiving more than 150
submissions for the first issue, we quickly learned there was merit to the
exercise. The original title, E.W.P.G. (Electronic Word Preservation Guild),
was inspired by all those organizations out there with acronyms exceedingly
difficult to remember.

The
idea for Inbox came from the attitude
that emails are transient, disposable, utilitarian notes that will serve little
purpose in the long run. And nine times out 10, this is absolutely right. But
now and then, there will be a message that transcends the odds. Inbox seeks these out. 

With
that, I’d like to open the pages of Inbox to your submissions. If there is a story behind your email, be sure to include
(all the juicy) details. Remember, there are no guidelines for content: No
issue is too private, no concern too banal. But please don’t send me anything
that will compromise my friendship with you, or your friendship with another.
In other words, all due respect for the law will be taken into account.

For
the first edition, I’m including this particular sample because it is only two
sentences long and that’s all we have space for at this point.

Please send
all submissions to inbox@rochester-citynews.com

From: —–
——–

RE: television
show rights

Date: Mon, 11
Apr 2005

To: Michael
Neault

Sir,

We
are not connected. I have no idea who Michael Neault is and I’m sure he feels
the same way about me.

Regards,

—–
——–

This article appears in May 4-10, 2005.