[dvdvol] Trouble e-mails 02

Wed Feb 17 03:27:55 PST 2010

Hi All,

I am Jay Toser from Fall River, WI For right now, I am kind of, the secretary for the DVD Project. I get a copy of the e-mails whenever someone writes to      cd2010 at pglaf.org     

I'm sending this boilerplate so anyone who gets a returned package, can contact the requester easily. You need to fill in parts of the letter to personalize it.

When you get a package returned, please do a couple things. Log into your account on the DVD database. There is a link for "Requests You've Completed." You should be able to find the requester there. [I've got a lot in my database. I copy off the DVD database, and paste it into TextEdit. I can then use "Find" to see them quickly.] All the relevant data for the requester is there.

Another note: I am still fulfilling requests posted from February 2009. And I am still getting packages returned that I mailed in June 2009. So the way I write things, try to take this great delay into account.

To: <E-MAIL ADDRESS> 

Subject: Project Gutenberg DVD

Dear <NAME AS LISTED IN THE ADDRESS>

You may not even remember requesting a Gutenberg Project DVD (containing 17,300 free books) last year on <DATE THEY REQUESTED>.  I processed that request on <DATE LISTED AS YOU COMPLETED> and mailed the DVD to you.  Unfortunately, the package was returned to me this week by the <COUNTRY> Post Office.  They say "<WHATEVER WAS ON THE ENVELOPE>."

I mailed the package with exactly the address you entered on our web site: 
<COPY AND PASTE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ENTERED>

I will handle your request as soon as you send an address the Post Office is more likely to deliver.  You may e-mail the address directly to me, <NAME & E-MAIL ADDRESS> and I will complete your request.  Please expect delivery in about a month (or longer -- any foreign mailing, takes some time to arrive).

Hope this helps,
<YOUR NAME>

Below, not for inclusion in the above boilerplate:

1) Using the word "Dear" in "Dear <NAME AS LISTED IN THE ADDRESS>" can be misinterpreted. Although both Ann Landers and Miss Manners recommend that formal business letters begin with "Dear," this is not universally understood as a proper business salutation.  Choose "Hi" if you feel more comfortable.

Nine times out of ten, It does not matter if you use "Dear," or "Hi."

My experience has been, sometimes the requestor assumes "Dear" indicates, the sender is the opposite gender to the requester. The e-mail response you get will clearly show what the requester assumes. Please do not take offense. Every single time I have gotten this kind of response, I have ALWAYS answered with another e-mail. I usually include information mentioning my wife. They get the message.

My take on things is, the people who are well enough educated that they desire the books of Project Gutenberg; they are well enough educated to understand a mistake. A simple reminder to them -- and you may have a very good friend. For me this has been true regardless of country, or gender of the requestor.

2)  <WHATEVER WAS ON THE ENVELOPE>. It is acceptable to e-mail "They have written something in a language I cannot read." OR "They wrote no reason for the return." OR "The marks from the Post Office were unreadable."

Twice, I have gotten e-mails requesting photos of the envelope. You are under no obligation to do that. But me, I have the equipment to send images. In both cases, it was trouble with local (city) Post Offices. An alternate address to another city, worked in each case.

3) Your <NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS>. This IS NOT required. Yes, I use both. The reason is, I contact the Internet using a very obsolete computer (Quadra 950). Because of this, I am fairly immune to all the Viruses, Phishing, Trojans, Worms, Robots, Zombies, etc. out on the Internet. [Disadvantage, my e-mail & web access is really, really slow.] I do not fear giving out name and e-mail address.

If you wish to restrict your privacy, please use      cd2010 at pglaf.org     as the contact e-mail. You are free to use my name     Jay Toser   as well. The reason I release this information is, easily 2/3rd's of the world's population will not trust a Robot-like, anonymous e-mail. They will only trust a human name. Believe me, there is reason for this mistrust across the world. A human name is worth it's weight in gold. Use my name, if not yours.

If you feel uncomfortable about using my True Name, then use my alias: Ivan Kalinin. (And no, that video is from 1972, not present day.)

Yes I have learned enough of the world -- that it is better to talk (write, e-mail) person-to-person. At least, in 2/3rd's of the world.

4) "Please expect delivery in about a month (or longer -- any foreign mailing, takes some time to arrive)."  You should adjust this information depending on the requester's country. My other message, "Trouble e-mails 01" will give you guidelines on how long it should really take to deliver the package. Do not over-promise, and under-deliver. Tell them, straight up, what to expect. For example: Iran will take six months, and there is a 50-50 chance they won't get the package.  Truth is truth; and throughout the world, truth is appreciated.

As I wrote in the previous message, WE ALL could use information about delivery times to other countries. Any experience you have would be valuable to this list.

Hope this helps,
Jay Toser=
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