The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 15.0568 Monday, 1 March 2004
[1] From: Thomas Larque <
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Date: Friday, 27 Feb 2004 15:57:57 -0000
Subj: Re: SHK 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
[2] From: William Proctor Williams <
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Date: Friday, 27 Feb 2004 18:08:52 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Thomas Larque <
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Date: Friday, 27 Feb 2004 15:57:57 -0000
Subject: 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
Comment: Re: SHK 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
>Further, because of the way the letter is addressed it is clear
>that she/he/they is using either the MLA Directory of Periodicals or the
>MLA list of Useful Addresses.
It cannot have been based exclusively, if it was at all, on such
sources. I received an identical E-Mail to the one sent to Stuart
Hampton-Reeves, from the same person, complete with the address "Dear
Professor;" despite the fact that the E-Mail address used is only
published on my website (http://shakespearean.org.uk) and the website
itself clearly identifies me as a University student. I would suspect
that the E-Mail addresses have been found by trawling University
websites and other websites on related literary topics (which may not
have required any more effort than typing "Shakespeare" into Google;
certainly they had not read enough of my website to know who or what I
really was).
This is not necessarily a scam. Iraqi Universities are genuinely in
difficulty, and it may be that some students are copying others, or that
all of them have been directed to do this by the staff. A provable
University address as destination for any books might indicate that at
least real students are involved. On the other hand, I am afraid that
like many others I find this too much like so much other spam for it to
really make me want to respond. There is still a good chance that this
is some kind of confidence trick - something that would not be disproved
by a friendly and plausible E-Mail voice at the other end of the
conversation, which is common to many dishonest scams - or it could just
be that particular students find this a handy way to get provided with
free research and a personal library (I saw nothing much to suggest that
the Iraqi University would receive the books and articles after their
use), but I can only advise people to trust their own judgement.
Thomas Larque.
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: William Proctor Williams <
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Date: Friday, 27 Feb 2004 18:08:52 -0500
Subject: 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
Comment: Re: SHK 15.0553 Request for Articles/References
Further information convinces me that the students at the University of
Mosul do indeed need our help. A story from January in the Honolulu
Star-Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2004/01/19/news/story2.html
describes the situation in vivid terms. And these two press releases
from the USAID
http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2003/pr031202.html and
http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2003/pr031003.html
indicate to me that, no matter my initial skepticism, these students
need whatever help they can get.
William Proctor Williams
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S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook,
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