Today, for the first time ever, I think, there were more emails waiting for me in the "junk" folder than in the "inbox" correspondence folder. So that's a record. A low record, I guess, for a high number of junk emails.

Not only annoying, but vaguely insulting, to have people using your email address as a sort of waste bin. "Here, I'll just run this trashy pseudo-male enhancement come-on through all these addresses and see who's dumb enough to fall for it." Does anyone really ever respond to them?

It was different in the bad old days of early computers and bulletin boards. I signed in with my real name at first and was immediately swarmed over by horny young men all on the make. But at least it wasn't the anonymous inbox trawling so prevalent now.

Back in the day, many of the bulletin boarders turned out to be nice people and some became friends--once we got past the panting and drooling part. When I mentioned that I punched cards for IBM 360's I thought they were going to turn inside out, it was so sexy. IBM? Sexy? Not what I'd have thought. More like hard, boring work. Though the thrill of having your program run perfectly was worth it all.

So, yeah, I'm insulted and annoyed by the mindless anonymous trash in my mailbox. Go away and bother somebody stupid. Maybe an evangelical or a member of the GOP. Maybe introduce that Nigerian to that South African.

OTOH, if you're a geek, that's different....