A system crash wiped out Lily's mailbox -- not Y2K-related -- so anyone renewing a membership or corresponding with her in the past week may have to try again. The address is .

Other snafus here include my recent misspelling of Joseph Raben's name, and of "millennium" and the word "to". Must be getting old, or in need of a heavier grade of coffee. Maybe it was the cold I've caught. Anyway, my thanks to Joe for all the linguistics job ads he has forwarded, and to the rest of you for your financial support.

I've begun moving our list distributions to the OneList system, to automate sign-ups, drops, and other administrative actions for our five weekly digests. This will also permit a free, delayed, advertising-supported, all-or-nothing version of our services for impecunious AI students, plus two new discussion lists. Those of you continuing to support CI may renew in 2000 at the former international rate, or half the 1999 US price. (Those switching to the free- but-less-convenient service can get a refund, of course.) But I don't have all the administrative files written yet, so this is just an alpha announcement.

Free ads to qualified applicants! If I'm to make a go of advertising-supported services, I'll need ads. It will take time to build up a large freebie readership, and to work out rates and policies. Meanwhile I will give free advertising to worthy sponsors, including Computists. Act now for best placement. And tell your friends.

If the ad-supported approach doesn't work out -- or even if it does -- I'm likely to retire after this year. I may hire someone to carry on, or sell out to an interested Computist (or an up-and-coming list entrepreneur), or just shut the whole thing down. I've learned an enormous amount, developed new skills, helped society, and made a lot of friends. I appreciate the nice comments I've received, but a decade of this will be long enough. Contact me if this sparks your urge to learn the business and take over some part of the service. This could be your path to a new career, with easy hours and significant pay during the training period.

----- "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." -- Andre Gide. -----