I'm interested to learn how other people got to know about AWAD (the word-a-day email service) and this board AWADtalk.

In my case it went like this... I saw a newspaper ad with a really odd title, something like NOT A SUN IN PERU (but that's not quite right). Turns out it was an ad for superannuation, and quite a clever one, using anagrams for many of the keywords. At the bottom, in very fine print, was an acknowledgement of Anu Garg's Internet Anagram Server http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html.

I checked out the URL, and was immediately captivated to see the words INTERNET ANAGRAM SERVER rearrange themselves to form I, REARRANGEMENT SERVANT. I plugged a few names into the system, marvelled at the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of words that were returned very quickly, and thought, cute. Some weeks later I followed a link from that page to the AWAD home page, signed up for the AWAD mail, and then on to AWADtalk. I read AWADtalk postings for a while until one day I felt the urge to contribute to one of the discussions.

What's your story?

(Apologies if you've done this before, but I guess we've had a lot of strangers join us since then, anyway)

My story is sadly prosaic. Some months ago, my father bought a Reader's Digest book entitled, "Teach Yourself Computers, the Internet and Windows 98." In the section on mailing lists, it has a page "INTERESTING MAILING LISTS" and AWAD was on it, so I subscribed. I was an AWAD subscriber for around ten months before I joined AWADtalk.

I was also flipping through a magazine when I came upon an <intersting web site> blurb. I tore it out but did not look up the site for some two months or so because I lost it. When I found the scrap of paper again I was hooked.

It took about two weeks to join AWADtalk after joining AWAD. I must admit that I didn't read the stuff at the bottom because all that is usually just advertising. The day I read it...off I was in AWADtalk.

An angel!
A good friend of mine signed me up to get AWAD, not even knowing about the bulletin board, because she knew I
love words! I noticed the mention of AWADtalk a few days later, watched a while, then got up my nerve and logged in.
I have written her super-grateful thank-you notes!
I love you people!!!

I was introduced to the Wordsmith over a year ago by my brother in law who had found the anagrams. He showed me some funny thing he had come across when anagraming our names, I think. I looked at the site and found the AWAD mailing list, which I have enjoyed exceedingly. Only after I recently found myself underemployed did I have the inclination to see what all this AWADtalk was all about.

For me, it was just a lucky event:
For my classes I am making a lot of wooden models of mathematical objects; between them there are some devices to draw algebraic curves; so I was thinking about the SPHIROGRAPH, which is a toy to make wonderful drawings putting a pen in a hole in a wheel rolling over another wheel...
I understand that you all are thinking "what can be the link to AWAD??"
Well, searching in the Web for "spirograph", I found a virtual copy of it... in Anu's page!

I do third level helpdesk support, and notice AWAD in someone mail (actually AWAD was open when i came to assist). After resolving the users problem, we talked about words, and she was kind enough to forward the word of the day to me, and i subscibed. That was a few months ago. It taken me time to explore the AWAD site, and I read posting for a while.

It is an addictive place..

I think I joined a Word a Day in 1996, it was mentioned in a magazine, I think. I do love it (and don't tell Anu ... but it is very useful for checking that your e-mail is working).

I noticed the "Happy Sexennium, AWAD! Announcing Birth of AWADtalk" mail in March and just had to have a look. Its been great fun. I love the range of people that are attracted to the board.

The mail said "On this occasion, we at Wordsmith World Headquarters present a bulletin board AWADtalk http://wordsmith.org/board/awadtalk.cgi where you can absorb words,discuss your favorite ones, powwow with fellow linguaphiles, help each other in sleuthing mystery themes, ask questions about etymologies, chitchat about
puzzles, wordplay, crosswords and anything else that you can imagine."

I think we've managed to do all that, especially the "anything else that you can imagine" bit!

I'd never heard of AWAD until early this year - a friend (who was an AWAD subscriber) on another messageboard posted the AWADtalk URL. I followed, having nothing better to do at the time. And I stuck.

I've been doing my own word-a-day via email for 10 years or so and get lots of words and referrals in return. about two or three years ago a subscriber mentioned AWAD to me and I subsequently linked to it from my web site. I've never been a subscriber (would be supererogatory since I take the link every day). a little over a year ago I was surprised to receive the following email:

Great collection of words you have at wwtfd. Please add me to your mailing
list. BTW, I've been running AWAD (A.Word.A.Day) for over five years. You
may find it interesting: http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

I only mention the latter because he claims over 300,000 subscribers in just five years, while I check in today with nearly 500! I guess one might conclude that AWAD is more... um... accessible than WWFTD.

I came across AWAD in October last year when I was looking through some of the links from A Web of Online Dictionaries as it was called in those days (now yourDictionary.com). I got the introductory spiel when AWADtalk started up and joined but then forgot about it for a couple of months. It was still lurking about in my list of favourites and eventually surfaced, and has been taking over more and more of my life ever since. An hour or so a day just about keeps me up to date with the postings but I have a horrible suspicion I might have to give up soon.

Bingley

Rachel, the receptionist at the department where I work, recommended AWAD in one of her regular "newsletters" to the department. I hooked up to it and read the daily word for a couple of weeks. I then, in a moment of boredom, turned to the board - the first one I had ever accessed - and read that every day for just over a week. I forget what I read that made me need to reply - I suppose I could check my first post and remind myself - but I subscribed and started to acquire this addiction (officially, of course, it's only an enthusiasm at the moment)

Since then, my work output has gone down dramatically. If I suddenly disappear from view, it's because they've sacked me and I haven't yet out my home computer on to the net

Like Jackie, I think this is a grand place - my stock of useless information has mutiplied enormously since joining, and I 'aven't 'ad sich a good laff since Gran'ma caught her apron in t'mangle.

Thanks to all of you!

I subscribe to the opinion that the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. This may sound strange for one still in high school, but I think my AP history and physics classes last year gave me a yearning to learn more, including a lust to expand my vocabulary. This led me to embark on a Google search for a site that would do such, and I, somehow, ended up here. I signed up, I believe in May of this year, during male-and-female-versions-of-words week. I joined AWADtalk less than a week later.

Participating in this discussion board made me enter my AP English class with a whole new perspective.

the more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

Jazz., I am not a bit surprised that you are in AP classes.
Here is an interesting corollary to your first sentence.

The more you know, the more you forget.
The more you forget, the less you know.
The less you know, the less you forget.
The less you forget, the more you know!

Better late than never..

It all kicked off with my deciding it was time to set up a Web site. I needed a theme and a name, but being unable to conceive of anything I knew that others may find useful - or even entertaining - I followed pure whimsy in making my decision. I suppose Guinness have to take most of the blame, but whatever, http://www.fishonabike.com was the end result.

The initial version of the site went "live" on 1st April 2000, which may or may not have some significance.
Despite some fairly grandiose intentions, I haven't done much with the site since then.

Sunrise, sunset, a bit of fiddling on the roof..

Meanwhile in sunny Awadia, much as an analogy is drawn where one isn't strictly necessary, the Simile Fred was bearing strange fruit. You can all blame wsieber for first mentioning a fish on a bike in a post way back on 15/7:
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Board=miscellany&Number=3572

After a short delay, lots of Ayleurs got in on the act, and you could hardly move for piscine peregrinations.

Enter tsuwm, with a suspicious mind and a reference to my Website:
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Board=wordplay&Number=5790

It could still have ended here but for my dear, occasionally scary, Auntie (Anna)Strophic who Emailed me some basic info about AWAD and invited me to swim around and have a butcher's (+ hook = look. Though probably it should be "fishmonger's" here) some time. For some reason she thought AWAD may be of some relevance to us pisces bicyclata.

How wrong she wasn't.

Anyway, I made my first post on 11/10, and have had many exciting adventures here since then, under a fair variety of guises. The delicate matter of my parentage still hasn't been resolved, although the delicate matter of my gender has been. Pretty much.

Which planet I'm on is another matter entirely.

It's been great fun!

FishonaBike/Shona/Fishman/Fisk/Floppy Fiskette


P.S. shanks must be credited with the first use of 'Shona':
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Board=miscellany&Number=5856

P.S. shanks must be credited with the first use of 'Shona':

My blushes!!

>The delicate matter of my parentage still hasn't been resolved, although the delicate matter of my gender has been. Pretty much.

Excuse me, but the delicate matter of your gender has NOT been discussed. There are ladies present Mister, thank-you very much

The delicate matter of my parentage still hasn't been resolved

Am assuming, from your name (Shona just 'places' you so, geographically speaking, doesn't it?) and other coy hints you have dropped here and there, that 'Eastern' European is where it's at - Polish or Czech, for choice...?

Polish or Czech?

I'm impressed, shanks - pure Polish by blood!

Pass the barsht, bigos and wodka and I'll regale you with tales of the swathes of land my grandparents used to own.
(they were all barons, you know).

There are ladies present

Are there?? Where?

'Scusez-moi, mesdames!

Shona

I'm pure Malayali Nair by blood - so can also claim Baronial forbears. (In fact, a great-great-great grandfather of mine was the Raja ['king'] of Kollengode. Not that this means much, given that Kollengode can hardly claim a population of more than about 2000, but still...)

Perhaps we can swap notes about the best way to exercise the droit de seigneur and stuff like that.

But, oh woe is me - have I been too flippant here? Should I have moved all this to some other forum, with appropriate links etc? Should I have titled my post: "Aside to Shona, all others may ignore"? Oh dear, the burden of decision-making...

I thought it was time I dusted off this thread and asked the question of our newcomers - wow, Bobyoungbalt, CapitalKiwi, lukaszd, ShyHeart and anyone else I've forgotten. How about a few words on the route that brought you to our odd little world?

It was several months ago when I happened onto mention of AWAD; I believe it was in Newsweek magazine. I think that was an issue I browsed through while waiting for my (ex) boyfriend's doctor appointment. It was out of town and I had accompanied him. I jotted down a few interesting URL's from the magazine. This one really panned out! I've been an AWAD subscriber for several months, and I'm just now trying some posting, after reading some fairly recently. I have long been fascinated by word etymology and also all kinds of trivia, and I love learning, and books. I am still stumbling around on my computer, because it's very new to me! I am genuinely impressed by what I see on the boards here -- signs of intelligent life, I guess you could say! and friendly people who are not nitpickers who make me afraid to join in the conversation! (Thanks for not being language police!)

I read about the AWArD in the current Smithsonian Magazine. I browse the subjects when I get the mag, saw Anu's picture, read the article and logged on. I have been involved with words all my life. This is my first board. The participants all "read" so warm and friendly, funny and punny. Even my blunders were (and are) corrected kindly and considerately. All this confirms my opinion that book people and word people are kind, generous of spirit and all together thoroughly fine people. I was going to say "nice people" then I made a swift trip to the New Shorter Oxford English CD and WHOA ..there are definitions of nice that NEVER entered my mind. Perhaps we could have a thread on nice? I rely on your good will when I blunder; your forbearance when I get pompous; your good will when I try your patience. Let me know when I get out of line. Be blunt as I don't always get hints! Thank you to all for the words of welcome. I hope you are all enjoying the holly daze. It is past my bedtime so I am going to sign off now. Sweet dreams, all.WOW
Any more guesses as to meaning of wow? There are two already that I didn't think of... woman of wonder is apt (wrong but apt) as wondering is stock in trade for writers.

My erudite and highly verbal son enjoys nothing more than to "top" his dear old dad by using a word with which I am unfamiliar. In order to further this end, he subscribed to several "word a day" services on the Net. After a time, the glow wore off his "cappers" and he conceded the address from which one may order Anu's stuff. I read this for quite a while before deciding to surface on the board. I'm really not a board sort of fellow but this one seems quite the exception to the mindless ones on which people seem to be constantly shouting inanities at one another.

Oh, WOW! THANK YOU for posting that!!! Oh, I have been wondering and wondering what our great benefactor looks like! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness, I'm SO
excited! (Speaking of which, does your screen name represent your attitude?)

He's definitely in my Favorites! Here's the link:
http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/dec00/wordaday.html

Jackie ... Gotcha! You are bypassing the main page! It has an alert to the Smithsonian article. Naughty naughty. About name : Just to save you having to ask... a dear old friend immediately said "wicked old witch." Granted she said it with a smile but I refused her request for a second piece of chocolate cake and she was properly chastened. WOW

Two things for Jackie and all others who are checking out the Smithsonian article and photo of Anu 1. The article in the actual publication is much more complete and the picture much larger. 2. If you click on Jackie's link to Smithsonian, scroll to end and you'll see that you can buy a copy of the magazine containing the AWArD article. I mention this because I noted that some of you said you didn't get to the Board right away because you do not scroll all the way down to the junk at the end. OK, off you go now!

Wonderful link Jackie!

Anu certainly does look like a jolly fellow.

There is no Anu Garg. The handsome man in the two pictures is an East Indian actor (whose films have been seen mostly overseas) paid to dress up and impersonate Anu.

Father, I would think you would be the last person who would need lessons of faith. Just because the benevolent presence is unseen is no reason question your belief that he exists.

Xara writes: "I would think you would be the last person who would need lessons of faith. Just because the benevolent presence is unseen is no reason question your belief that he exists."

And the Vicar cites another Anglican clergyman, Francis B. Sayre, who said; "Religion isn’t yours firsthand until you doubt it right down to the ground."

Jackie ... Gotcha! You are bypassing the main page!

Heck, yeah! I wanted to get straight to the important stuff! Thanks for the answer--I would never have proferred that even if I'd thought of it.

Great to see a picture of Anu Garg himself! And I love that quotation -- "I have a dream where society will replace guns with dictionaries." I'm all for that.

WOW -- is it MOM turned upside down??

Smarty pants! I should have known you folk would be too clever by half! HOWEVER, I like double meaning, (no, not double entendre) so wow has another meaning. Sorry, no hints. WOW

My route to AWAD?

Each 4 weeks out of 8 I work in shifts as a database helpdesk member and thus I have plenty of time to explore the Web (I hope my boss will never read this post ), esp. at nights, as our databases work rather smoothly. I've been looking for a site where I could improve my English somehow - I use it a lot at work but only to speak to other non-natives (mostly Germans). I found AWAD (googled, to be specific), subscribed, next day I discovered the board and a couple of days later posted for the first time.

Unfortunately, the helpdesk period has just ended and I have much more to do now (my God, if he does I'll have to post from home and look for a new job). But I think I'll somehow manage to become a newbie this year. Be sure I'll drop you a little something at the very midnight, New Year's Eve (CET, that is) as I am the one who drew the short straw and I will be on duty then .

Pauvre lukaszd. Do not dispair, I will be sure to drop in on New Year's eve for a little bit of AWADie celebrating with you.

I am the one who drew the short straw and I will be on duty then .

Grand idea, belM! PARTY AT LUKAS's workplace!!
Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music...

My intro to AWAD came several years ago - while randomly surfing. You know, the ol' 'drunkards walk' approach to finding things. I did take quite a while before I 1) had time, and 2) the nerve to join this fine assemblage of wit and wisdom!

Since I am likely to be working too - I shall toot a little toot for you. All of you...

And a merry chirstmas, noel, hannukah [insert politically correct festival of choice here] to all as well. (I shall be working - ensuring that the old people of Fulham get their Home Help visits all evening!)

cheer

the sunshine warrior

I read about Anu yesterday in the latest Smithsonian. This rest is, as they say, history. Or will be sometime in the not too distant future.