I sent an email to a work source today. I received an automatic reply asking me to verify the fact that I was "a real live human being and not a spam source" (direct quote). I felt quite confused by the fact that my personal existence was being questioned by an automated response. I wanted to reply with something like: "Why do you care whether I exist when you yourself do not?" but I realised this would come dangerously close to crossing the line from talking to myself to emailing myself.

Furthermore, it happens to be true that the anti-spam auto reply was about the most polite entity (real or otherwise) that I've dealt with today. I'm working with three different languages, all of which require me to recruit some native speakers by the end of the week. I've got leads on all of them, and I've been calling and emailing and leaving messages for people all day for the last week and a half, and I'm fed up. One was scheduled to come in this afternoon and didn't even bother to show up, and won't answer her phone. I don't mind people not wanting to help me, but they could at least have the courtesy to reply and say "no thank you," or "unfortunately I am not able to do the thing I said I would do this week". At this point I would accept and SMS saying "shove it". It would be better than ignoring me completely.

At least the anti-spam filter cares. I think I'm going to send her some flowers.

Far from home

Garry with 2 Rs

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