There's a Hole in the Bucket, dear Liza dear Liza....
Anybody remember Eliza, the prototype psychiatrist simulator back in the '70s? It would appear her descendants are alive and well and working for Earthlink...
There was recently a vote in news.groups to add a new group, rec.arts.books.excerpts. It passed, and in due course I was informed it had been created. I checked Earthlink to see if they had it, they didn't, so I checked their website to see how to request that it be created. Said website referred me to newssupport@earthlink.net. so I sent them the following note:
| From: "Kay Shapero" To: newssupport@earthlink.net Subject: Add request Date: Sunday, September 21, 2003 15:08 Please add rec.arts.books.excerpts . Thank you. Kay Shapero http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/index.htm |
In due course, came the response from earthlink.
| From: newssupport@earthlink.net To: "Kay Shapero" Subject: Re: Add request (KMM53886598V61858L0KM) Date: Monday, September 22, 2003 13:19 Dear Kay Shapero, Thank you for contacting us. With regard to your message, we apologize for the confusion, but we could not distinguish the issue from the information that you sent. Please reply back with a detailed description of the errors you are experiencing, along with any additional information, such as program names, that would be relevant to the situation. Thank you for your patience. Vincent B. Earthlink Electronic Customer Support EarthLink, Inc. CSR ID#: 2079 Case ID 31326446 (stack of Earthlink service advertisements deleted) Original Message Follows: ------------------------- Please add rec.arts.books.excerpts . Thank you. Kay Shapero http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/index.htm |
Seemed clear enough to me already, but I'm game.
| From: "Kay Shapero" To: newssupport@earthlink.net Subject: Re: Add request (KMM53886598V61858L0KM) Date: Sep 22, 2003 4:44 PM (quote of their message deleted for space) OK - Your website says to use "newssupport@earthlink.net" to request the addition of new newsgroups to those carried by earthlink. I wish to subscribe to a new newsgroup recently created on Usenet. The name of the new newsgroup is rec.arts.books.excerpts . You do not currently carry it. So I wrote to ask you to start doing so so that I can subscribe to it. Though to be honest, if you folks don't deal with the current email spamflood of bogus Microsoft messages by adding them to the stuff intercepted by the Spaminator as Known Spam (High SpamBlocker setting does NOT help - "Suspect Email" may keep it out of the download, but it still clogs the on-line storage bin at a rate of 10 Meg per day) within the next couple of days, then I may simply find another ISP. Surely there's one out there that can handle this. |
In retrospect, the last paragraph should have been left out, as a distraction. Sure enough, back comes the following...
| From: newssupport@earthlink.net To: "Kay Shapero" Subject: Re: Add request (KMM53963069V39727L0KM) Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 10:58 Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for contacting us. We understand the issue regarding newsgroups and spam . Regarding the newsgroup issue,thank you for your input. We are always interested in comments from our customers and the public regarding ways to improve our product and service. We will certainly consider your suggestion. In the meantime, you can learn about all of our services and pricing plans by visiting the following site: http://www.earthlink.net/home/access/ Regarding spam issue,to resolve the issue follow the below steps: Symantec Security Response has developed a removal tool to clean the infections of W32.Swen.A@mm available at: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.swen.a@mm.removal.tool.html We apologizes for any inconvenience caused. For further information and clarification,please feel free to get back us. Kumar P. Earthlink Electronic Customer Support EarthLink, Inc. CSR ID#: 2758 Case ID 31326446 (same stack of advertisements deleted) Original Message Follows: ------------------------- (full quote of my message deleted for space.) |
Either I'm talking to a computer or someone is too lazy to do more than scan for keywords. Whatever I'm talking to, it seems to be a mite confused. I make one more attempt to simplify...
| From: "Kay Shapero" To: newssupport@earthlink.net Subject: Re: Add request (KMM53963069V39727L0KM) Date: Sep 23, 2003 4:27 PM OK, try this again... I want to read a new newsgroup. It was just formed. Earthlink does not carry it yet. I would like Earthlink to START carrying it. Where do I send you the request to start carrying it? |
And get a semi coherent answer, though by now it's blown the Turing Test completely.
| From: newssupport@earthlink.net To: "Kay Shapero" Subject: Re: Add request (KMM53990966V61356L0KM) Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 17:02 Dear Kay Shapero, Thank you for your reply. We understand that you are have issues regarding newsgroup. To resolve the issue,please follow the below steps: If you would like to add a newsgroup to EarthLink's news servers, please send an email to the following address: newssupport@earthlink.net Be sure to include the name of the newsgroup you wish to add. We have a great deal of additional information about accessing the Internet on our help page at: http://help.earthlink.net Please let us know if we may be of further assistance. We hope it will resolve the issue.For further information and clarification,please feel free to get back us. Kumar P. Earthlink Electronic Customer Support EarthLink, Inc. CSR ID#: 2758 Case ID 31326446 (same ads deleted) Original Message Follows: ------------------------- (quote of my message deleted) |
That might have been a little more encouraging if it hadn't been sent FROM newssupport@earthlink.net, and if I didn't remember how this discussion started, but I tried one more time (and, alas, made a typo but I doubt it made much difference)...
| From: "Kay Shapero" To: newssupport@earthlink.net Subject: Add Request Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 17:24 Please add rec.arts.books.extracts to the available newsgroup list. |
And... sure enough, Artificial Stupidity triumphs over all.
| From: newssupport@earthlink.net To: "Kay Shapero" Subject: Re: Add Request (KMM54021791V93513L0KM) Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 01:55 Dear Kay Shapero, Thank you for contacting us. We understand that you want us to add rec.arts.books.extracts to the available newsgroup list. We suggest you to forward this email to our News support team. Please refer the link: http://newssupport@earthlink.net In case you need further assistance, please get back to us. We are eager to assist you. Barik L. Earthlink Electronic Customer Support EarthLink, Inc. CSR ID#: 2752 Case ID 31434394 (same ads deleted) Original Message Follows: ------------------------- Please add rec.arts.books.extracts to the available newsgroup list. |
I gave up and went over to Chat to talk to a human being who couldn't do anything but refer me to newssupport@earthlink.net. Oh well... there's a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, a hole...
FWIW they did finally get around to adding the newsgroup several weeks later.