Be a Macway EvangeList

[Tony Rocco <tony_rocco -at- NAVIS -dot- COM>]

Mail*Link(r) SMTP               Be a Macway EvangeList

Macaholic tech writers like me might be interested in joining this mailing
list from Guy Kawasaki. It is called the Macway EvangeList.Info follows.Hey,
30,000 subscribers can't be wrong!

--------------------------------------
Date: 8/14/96 22:50
From: Tony G. Rocco
MacWay -at- aol -dot- com wrote:

> Note: This email address is monitored by a Claris Emailer mail action. No
> one "reads" the mail sent to it. Every incoming message simply generates
> this automated response. You can write to Guy Kawasaki at <gkway -at- aol -dot- com>.

> If you'd like to skip all this carefully crafted verbiage and simply sign
> up for EvangeList, you can do this at
> <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/> in the About Evangelist area.

> ____________________

> INTRODUCTION
> ____________________

> Thanks for checking out Guy Kawasaki's EvangeList! The purpose of this
> mailing list is to quickly get information to the evangelists (official
> and unofficial) of Macintosh.

> EvangeList is not a list server to talk to others. It's here to help you
> spread the word about Apple's insanely great computers. In other words,
> it's ONLY good news--there is no "sky-is-falling" junk here! There's
> already been many documented cases of EvangeList postings helping sell
> Macintoshes and unsell PC clones.

> For example, if you were already a subscriber, you would have learned
> about these developments:

> - The San Jose Mercury uses Macintosh to produce its paper--even while
> its reporters predict Apple's gloom.
> - Harvard Business School has standardized on Macintosh for its executive
> programs.
> - Stewart Alsop, editor in chief of InfoWorld, couldn't get the CD-ROM in
> Bill Gates's book to run on Windows NT.
> - Santa uses a Macintosh for his Web site.
> - The NHL uses PowerBooks to score its games.

> If you'd like to get previous postings, here are archives:

> <http://www.documentation.com/macway/macway.htm>
> <http://wais.sensei.com.au/searchform.html>
> <http://wais.sensei.com.au/archives/macway/>
> <ftp://solutions.apple.com/pub/macway/>
> <http://www.zdnet.com/macuser/macway/>

> Please forward this message to anyone who can help us in the battle!
> Right now there are 30,000 members--a rule of thumb is that this means
> 200,000 people read the messages, so get on board!

> Thanks!

> Guy Kawasaki
> <mailto: "Guy Kawasaki" gkway -at- aol -dot- com>

> ____________________

> INSTRUCTIONS
> ____________________

> If you cannot figure out how to subscribe or alter your profile, the web
> master can help you. He can be contacted at:

> <mailto: "Chuq Von Rospach" chuqui -at- plaidworks -dot- com>

> Subscribing

> To subscribe to the list send an email message to:

>    <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com>

> include in the body of the message the string:

>    SUBSCRIBE MACWAY and enter your real name

> Getting Digests

> If you want to get all the messages as Guy sends them (he sends a whole
> bunch almost every day), all you need to do is subscribe as explained
> above. On the other hand, if you'd like to just get all Guy's messages
> once per day in a nice package, then we suggest that you get a digest
> version of the list.

> To do this, first subscribe to the list as we explained above. After
> you've received confirmation that you're on EvangeList, then send an
> email message to:

>    <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com>

> include in the body of the message the string:

>    SET MACWAY MAIL DIGEST

> Turning off Digests

> To get out of digest mode and get the mail one piece at a time, send an
> email message to:

>    <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com>

> include in the body of the message the string:

>      SET MACWAY MAIL ACK

> Turning off digest mode does not unsubscribe you. You have to unsubscribe
> by using the instructions explained next. However, you  don't need to
> turn off digest and then unsubscribe--you can unsubscribe in one swoop.

> Unsubscribing

> To get off the list entirely (even though we hate to see you go!), send
> an email message to:

>    <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com>

> include in the body of the message the string:

>       UNSUBSCRIBE MACWAY

> ____________________

> EVANGELIST FAQ by Guy Kawasaki
> ____________________

> - Content of EvangeList

> Q. Who decides what gets posted to EvangeList?
> A. I decide. Sometimes Michelle Sain ("the other Guy") posts the message
> when it requests info that she keeps in a database.

> Q. Does anyone at Apple censor or approve your postings?
> A. Does Phil Jackson tell Michael Jordan when he can dunk? If I wanted to
> just be a well-paid mouthpiece, I probably could have been a Windows 95
> spokesperson. (I kid you not.)

> Q. Are there archives of EvangeList postings?
> A. Yes:

> <http://wais.sensei.com.au/searchform.html>
> <http://wais.sensei.com.au/archives/macway/>
> <ftp://solutions.apple.com/pub/macway/>

> Q. Why do you seem to preach only to the converted?
> A. Because the converted carry the battle forward, and, as I said above,
> there are many roles in this battle. Some ministers preach to a
> congregation of believers every Sunday. Others go into areas where
> Christianity has not yet taken hold. Some preach via servers. EvangeList
> is just one of the things that I do as an Apple Fellow. Trust me: I go
> into the jungle a lot.

> Q. Why do you post press releases when I can read the announcements in
> magazines?
> A. Because I can't be certain that everyone gets every magazine; that
> they will read the articles; and that the magazines will cover every
> press release. Also, sometimes the press doesn't quite get things right.
> :-)

> Q. Why do you post special offers and other sales propaganda from
> developers?
> A. Because getting the latest, greatest, and coolest stuff helps people
> evangelize Macintosh. Also, this is a big help for developers to generate
> word-of-mouth advertising. I'll do almost anything for a Macintosh
> developer.

> Q. Is there a way I can tell what a posting is about without reading the
> whole thing?
> A. I _try_ to use this code:

> ;-) Joke/funny story
> PR  Press release
> $$  Special offer
> !!  Action item encouraged by EvangeListas
> ??  Question posed by list subscriber

> You could set up a mail action or filter in your email client to
> automatically delete subjects that begin with $, for example, if you hate
> getting sales propaganda. But then don't blame me if you miss the special
> offer for EvangeList members of 9500s for $500. :-)

> Q. How do I submit something for posting?
> A. Just send it to me: <macway -at- aol -dot- com> Put the words "EvangeList
> posting" in the subject line of the message because Claris Emailer is
> searching for this string.

> Q. What are you looking for?
> A. Anything that helps Macintosh evangelists promote the Macintosh cause:
> anecdotes, tips, pointers to URLs, survey sites, etc. I don't want copies
> of "Internet humor." For example, I must have received 50 copies of the
> story of Bill Gates going to heaven and 500 copies of what would happen
> if Microsoft designed cars.

> Q. Can I re-post EvangeList stuff? Can I use them in my newsletter?
> A. It would be my honor and pleasure though  sometimes I post articles
> that I only received permission to use on EvangeList. These you have to
> ask the originator for permission to use. I denote copyrighted material
> in the first paragraph.

> Q. Why do you attach your signature to every message?
> A. Because I'm an egomaniac and because the bulk of the readers of
> EvangeList postings are recipients of forwards and BBS users. The
> signature needs to be on every posting, so that these people can see how
> to join EvangeList.

> Q. Why does the digest version contain a signature for every message?
> Can't it just be at the end?
> A. The digest version is completely automated. It is simply a compilation
> of postings. The list server software doesn't have the ability to cut
> every signature and add only one at the end of the digest.

> - EvangeList and Me

> Q. Why did I start getting EvangeList in digest form?
> A. Sometimes the server gets bogged down because too many people are
> signing up and I'm posting too much stuff. In a crisis, we sometimes have
> to use digest mode to reduce postings. At any given moment the server is
> processing 140,000 messages.

> Q. Why do I sometimes receive postings more than once? My friends on
> EvangeList don't.
> A. When the server crashes, it sometimes doesn't know who was sent
> postings, so it sends it to the entire batch of recipients again. If your
> friends aren't in the same batch, then they wouldn't get the postings
> again.

> Q. Do you kick people off the subscription list? Sometimes it seems like
> I stop getting postings for no reason.
> A. Hardly a day goes by when I don't post a few messages to EvangeList,
> so you should expect something everyday. If the server gets backed up or
> crashes, then maybe you'll go two days without any messages.

> Anything longer than two days, however, means something is probably
> wrong. There are only two reasons why people are removed from the list:
> 1) their server generates error messages and brings our server to a halt;
> or 2) they go on vacation and leave a mail action/filter that sends me
> dozens of messages that say, "Hi, Jody is on vacation and won't be back
> for two weeks. In the meantime, please contact her secretary, Bruce, at
> 415-555-1212."

> No one in the Macintosh community knows when more people are on vacation
> than I do. Frankly, this is a distinction I can do without. Do me a
> favor: set up a mail action or filter like: Automatically respond UNLESS
> sender contains "Macway" when you go to Maui.

> Q. Why do you post URLs instead of the articles themselves?
> A. I realize that this means less people will read the articles because
> they aren't directly delivered via the posting. However, many articles
> are copyrighted, so I can't simply re-post them.

> - Changing Your Profile

> Q. Can you alter my profile--such as whether I get a digest version?
> A. I, Guy Kawasaki, cannot. Chuq Von Rospach, the web master, can.
> However, he maintains about a dozen lists, so it's a inefficient use of
> his cycles. If you really get stuck, here's Chuq's URL:

> <mailto: "Chuq Von Rospach" chuqui -at- plaidworks -dot- com>

> Q. Then how do I get a digest version of the postings?
> A. Send an email message to: <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com> and include
> in the body of the message the string, "SET MACWAY MAIL DIGEST"

> Q. How do I unsubscribe?
> A. Send an email message to:
> <listproc -at- solutions -dot- apple -dot- com> and include in the body of the message the
> string, "UNSUBSCRIBE MACWAY"

> - Contacting Guy

> Q. If I send you a message about a posting, will you respond?
> A. Usually but not always. Sometimes I get so swamped that I can't: 300
> emails/day x 1/2 minute/email = 150 minutes.

> Rest assured that even if I don't respond, either I or one of my
> assistants read every message. (You can tell who is responding to you: if
> the response is long, thought-out, and polite, it's from my assistants.
> If it's curt and to the point, it's from me.)

> Also, sometimes I get impossible-to-answer questions that I just don't
> know what to do with. For example:

> 1) "Why isn't Copland shipping yet?"

> 2) "Why does your advertising suck?"

> Q. You post messages from several accounts. Does it matter which one we
> use to write to you?
> A. It doesn't. I use Claris Emailer, so all accounts are equal for me.

> - The Bottom Line

> Q. What can I do to stop the hegemony?
> A. Here's a list of Simple Things You Can Do to Save Apple Computer:

> - Wear Apple/Macintosh garb to show the world that we're not crawling
> into holes and dying.

> - Strike up a conversation with people you see using
> Macintosh--especially on airplanes. Reinforce that they did the right
> thing.

> - When you stay at a hotel, go see if there are Macintoshes in the
> business center. If there is, thank the person. If there isn't, ask why
> not.

> - When you see people using a PC (a dead giveaway of PC laptop is that
> Solitaire is running), ask them if their company forced them to use it.

> - Ask store clerks why there isn't more Macintosh software on the shelves.

> - Ask store clerks why there aren't more Macintosh models for sale.

> - If you hear a store clerk spreading ignorance and lies, wait until the
> clerk has left (usually 45 seconds) and go talk to the customer about
> their computer needs.

> - Check to see that the Macintosh floor models are running and their
> desktops are orderly. Do not, however, sabotage the PCs. This creates bad
> Karma.

> - Forward EvangeList postings to as many people as you can.

> - Write a letter to the publications that publish stupid, insipid,
> inaccurate, and unfair stories. (This will keep you really busy right
> now.) Most journalists are insecure and perceptive: after the 300th
> flaming message, they'll get the picture.

> - Donate your old Macintosh to a school, church, or other not-for-profit.
> Every Macintosh out there sells more Macintoshes.

> - Read MacUser, Macworld (even though the inside back column just isn't
> what it used to be), MacWEEK, and MacToday on airplanes and then leave
> them in the seat pockets for the next passenger.

> - Copy this signature and use it in your own email:

> _______________
> Do you believe in Macintosh? Check out the EvangeList web site at:
> <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/>.

> ________________
> Do you believe in Macintosh? Learn how to help the cause by subscribing
> to the "EvangeList" listserver by sending an email to
> <evangelist -at- macway -dot- com>. And check out the EvangeList web site:
> <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/>.

--
"I Miss Her Sometimes" by Somebody (Revised)

> Yesterday I ran into my old girlfriend
> Then I backed up and ran into her again
> I miss her sometimes.

                  TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send administrative commands
         ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
       should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-