Tuesday, October 3, 2000:
Your instructor has egg on his face. I did insist that papers be in on time, that they be emailed, and so on. Then, the company that provides me with email and Web space had their email server crash Sunday afternoon (October 1), and it wasn't restored until late Monday afternoon, after the due time. Even worse, the result is that emails sent to me during this period were lost.

In other words, "the server ate your homework."

I have received a number of papers sent early, and sent late, and resent.

I am really sorry about this, and obviously quite embarrassed. I tested this company, addr.com, for a month or so before using them; this is the first such crash. I had assumed that email providers would have back-up servers that would save emails in the event of a crash; my previous ISP did, but addr.com does not. Now I know a whole series of new questions to ask potential Internet providers.

I have returned short email acknowledgements for all papers I've received. If you did not get one, please resend your paper, as plain text pasted into the email window, not as an attached file. I did ask everyone to keep copies of the papers, so I hope this is not a problem. If it is, email me. You should also send this paper (and future ones) to two different addresses at once, p@fredcamper.com and fc@enteract.com. This means it will go to two different companies with two different servers, insuring I will receive it. The "submit paper" tab on the course's Web pages (http://www.fredcamper.com/Melodrama/) has been altered to produce, on computers configured to do so, an email window addressed to both addresses when you click on it. This page is also on the Web site too.

In addition, I am changing Internet providers to one that offers more reliable email. This change should be effected in about a week.

Again, I'm really sorry for any inconvenience. Obviously, no paper sent before, let's say, Thursday evening, October 5, will be "counted" as late.

Fred Camper