I just received an email that was addressed to www-talk@w3.org but that came
through to me at my email address. The email originated from "Linda Paterson" <linda_p2000@hotmail.com>
and was a solicitation of permission to use information on my web site. This email looks very much like spam to me. I cannot fathom what their purpose is, but it does seem that the sender is somehow using the w3.org lists for the purpose of spamming.

Roger Garrett

Here is a copy of the email as it arrived to me:

Hello,

Great site. My name is Linda McClelland, I am currently a student at James Watt College, in Kilwinning, and I am currently doing a Multimedia and Web Development course.

The reason is am sending you this E-Mail is that I have been asked as part of my course I have to create a CD-Rom and a Web site about the history of computers, the Internet and telecommunications etc. While doing my research on this topic I came across your Web Site and I found it very useful and interesting.

Our lecturers and James Watt College are very strict on plagiarism and I totally agree with them on this, as I know how much the creators of these sites have put in work and research.

So the main reason for this E-Mail is to ask for your permission to use some of the content from your site as part of my project. I must state here again that's anything I use is purely for the purpose of my project.

If you are not the creator of the web site I would be very grateful if you could give me the contact information of the creator of the site. Also I would be grateful if you would reply to me as soon as you can as I can start my project until I have permission.

I will understand if you decision is no as I said before I know how much work has to be done to create a site. But I would appreciate a reply one way or another.

Yours truly

L.McClelland