List Review Service v1n11, "WEIRD-L" (July 6, 1992)
URL: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/pub/stacks/lrs/lrs-v1n11


                     LIST REVIEW SERVICE         ISSN: 1060-8192

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Vol. 1, No. 11     WEIRD-L (Mmytacist Mmanufacture)   06 JUL 1992
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Published bi-weekly, when school is in session, by The University
of Missouri, St. Louis Libraries. Raleigh C. Muns, editor.

CONTENTS:       REVIEW                   (41 lines)
                SYNOPSIS OF ACTIVITY     (20 lines)
                SUGGESTED USES           ( 5 lines)
                SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ( 7 lines)

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REVIEW -
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WEIRD-L is a list that did not succumb to my usual white male,
pseudo-techy analysis. A literary criticism of the irregularly
appearing prose and poetry on this list would also be inappropriate
since that is not the goal of this service. However, in reading
WEIRD-L messages I couldn't help but hear the snapping of fingers
in a smoke-filled coffee shop, punctuated by whispered "cools" from
beret-wearing, goatee-bedecked denizens of the 1950's. Subscribers
will receive 3-5 messages each month on no discernible topic.
Posted messages vary in degree of creativity and weirdness (YOU
decide). While slogging through e-messages concerning such issues
as CD-ROM technology, US Government microfiche distribution, and
copyright of electronic journals, I found it an unequivocally
interesting experience to suddenly discover in my mailbox,
"HOLYSHIT! Another morning where I wake up with charred auto parts
sticking out of my torso!" (voodomaster@legba.voodoo.com, "Vodka
Induced", WEIRD-L@BROWNVM, April 2, 1992.)

Bookkeeping 1 -

I had to abandon my electronic dictionaries in order to decipher
the mysterious title of this list ("Mmytacist Mmanufacture"),
turning to that superior source, WEBSTER'S INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY
OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, UNABRIDGED, 2nd ed. (1934). WEBSTER defines
"mytacism" (from which "mmytacist" is apparently derived) thus:

     my'ta.cism, n [Gr. mytakismos. Cf. METACISM.]  Excessive or
     wrong use of the letter m, or of the sound it represents, as
     in writing or in defective speech.

Bookkeeping 2 -

Listowner Bornstein's description of WEIRD-L (abridged):

     "weird-l is a list devoted, mainly, to bizarre/disturbing/offensive
     short stories and ramblings, not humor. ... You may wish to read
     the notebooks before you attempt a posting. The list is edited, and
     material which is not original with the poster is usually discarded,
     as are long lists of, for example, cow jokes."

     Jeremy Bornstein (jeremy@brownvm), from description of list WEIRD-L
     retrieved from LISTSERV@BROWNVM.

-R. Muns

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SYNOPSIS OF THREE MONTHS ACTIVITY -
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Name of List Reviewed:        WEIRD-L
Location:                     LISTSERV@BROWNVM (Bitnet)

Listowner:                    Jeremy Bornstein
                              JEREMY@BROWNVM (Bitnet)


Number of Subscribers:        302 users in 24 countries

Period Monitored:             01 APR 92 - 05 JUL 92 (inclusive)

No. Messages Last 3 months:   10
No. Queries Posted:           00  (00 % of total activity)
No. Non-queries Posted:       10 (100 % of total activity)

Lines Sent (w/o headers):     512 (app. 22 screens of 23 lines)

Msgs. Posted Last 30 Months:  144 (app. 5 messages per month)

Searchable Archives:          Yes

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SUGGESTED USES FOR LIST -
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        1)      Scratch the creative writing itch.

        2)      Anthropological evidence of early network culture.

        3)      E-mail spice.

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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION -
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Send an e-mail message with blank subject line to:

     LISTSERV@BROWNVM                (Bitnet address)

Message should consist solely of:

     SUBSCRIBE WEIRD-L your_name

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = END REVIEW = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized bulletin
board/conference systems, individual scholars, and libraries.
Libraries are authorized to add these reviews to their collections
at no cost.  This message must appear on copied material.  All
commercial use requires permission.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer and do not
represent the views of the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

Copyright 1992. Raleigh C. Muns (Reference Librarian)
Thomas Jefferson Library, University of Missouri, St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121 (ph:(314) 553-5059)

BITNET ADDRESS: SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA