Here are the "Compendia" that I have been e-mailing to a list of people over the past years. I tried to follow certain rules to make them readable and enjoyable to you, my audience. The rules that I have set out for myself in a message that I sent out in mid-2003 are as follows.

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I receive humourous items from a number of sources, and I like to share what I consider the best of these with my friends and family - and with anybody else who might be interested. Here are the rules to which I try to adhere.

1. I choose to include only what I consider to be the cream of what I receive. No cream, and I won't send anything.

2. Perhaps four to six items per e-mailing, and e-mailing maybe as often as twice a week, perhaps only twice a month. No fixed schedule. And subject to disappearing again without announcement or warning.

3. I will send only items that are new to me. If I've seen them before, probably you have too.

4. Plain text only. I will send no pictures, no backgrounds, no borders, no HTML.

5. Tempting as they might be, I will send no attachments and hyperlinks on rare occasions if at all.

6. I will send nothing which I consider X-rated, and risque items only within limits.

7. Politics and religion make for good humour. Be open-minded. No bias intended, so rebuttals won't be suitable material.

8. No lectures by me. No "please send to five people within five minutes."

9. No material I know to be copyrighted, unless I identify the source.

10. You will be blind copied - that is, I will not show the distribution list or use it for any other purpose.

11. The material will be cleaned - no >'s, for example, and no old headers.

12. No advertising. This started out as a mailing to friends and family, and I have no intention of taking it any farther than that.

13. Subject should always start with "Compendia:" Otherwise it may be a personal message.

14. No pop quizzes. If you're busy and don't have time to read every e-mail I send, don't sweat it. If it's one of the compendia, delete it and forget it.

15. I may send you other e-mail, of a humourous, serious, business, informative, or other nature. But it won't be labeled "Compendia."

16. And where does the humour come from? Possibly YOU, among others. Remember that I may use only 5% to 10% of what I receive, so don't be disappointed if I don't use even a goodly proportion of what you send me. I'll try to give credit to the person who sent any item that I use, but I may have seen the same story elsewhere earlier. I may say that a story came from you, and you'll know it, but chances are that no one else will know it.