There are only 3 requirements for a successful event or party:

1. Something to eat
2. Something to do
3. A place to go to the bathroom

As soon as one of those is not present, the event will end.

This post was going to start off as a bit of a stupid people rant, but a few people redeemed it from frustration and dragged it into entertaining.  Possibly, the sheer ridiculousness of the entire thing brought it to the ‘funny’ category too.

Yesterday, I got this email:

From: Katlyn Fergus
Sent: July 7, 2011 5:40 PM
To: pnc_ach (pnc_ach@mail.rmu.edu)
Subject: Activation code

I have not received my activation code?

Thanks

Katie Fergus

My initial reaction was, “is this some sort of phishing scam?” Then I looked at the To line, and that means that either I’m somehow BCC’d on this email or that someone has my Robert Morris (rmu.edu) email on a stupid group email distribution. Sadly, it was the latter, and what ensued was ~120 reply all circle of choas and mayhem. So many Hall’s rules of Social Order were broken.  It didn’t stop until 7:01 PM.

0 replies from Katie Fergus

3 men asking if there are any single ladies

1 man asking if there are any single men

9 People replying “stop replying all!”

3 people replying more than once to “stop replying all!!”

31 people replying all requesting to be removed from the email list.

2 people replying all requesting to be kept on because they liked getting all the emails

18 people simply stating they were confused, not sure why they were getting the email(s), or asking why they were getting the email(s)

4 People placing (undeserved) blame on PNC and/or Katie Fergus

8 ”IT Guys” explaining (or attempting to explain) what was going on and what needed to happen to fix it for everyone

2 Actual RMU IT guys sending the same exact message explaining what the problem was and that it would be fixed soon.

5 People replying with reference to needing more activation codes, getting Katie her activation code, or saying they don’t need any activation codes.

1 Suggestion that you should have to pass an I.Q. test to gain access to the reply all button  (I wish this had a facebook like button)

3 “Shout outs” to friends or people on the email distribution

1 porn site registration confirmation email to pnc_ach@mail.rmu.edu

Some of the funnier replies:

WAIT!  EVERYONE STOP FOR A SECOND!

People still use blackberries?!

We must have the activation code

RMU SUCKS!

Poop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZUImChHJE (I thought for sure this would have been a Rick Roll)

I like turtles

Do you know what TED Talks are?  TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, but the topics that are covered in these talks are much broader and deeper than that.  Some of the most respected minds in the world take time to give a lecture on their expertise.  I know, I said the “L” word.  Honestly though, these are some of the most poignant monologues and engaging lectures I’ve ever listened to.  The topics span from world peace, to the social impacts of selling vs giving bug nets for people in Africa, from sound waves to what we perceive (or perceive incorrectly) with our eyes.  When you have people like Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) giving lectures, it’s bound to be entertaining.  There are TED conferences happening all the time, and I’d love to go to one, but for now, these videos are awesome.