Hi!

On Thursday evening, 5 August 1999, the AWAD (A.Word.A.Day) list put out
a AWAD-update mail featuring, among other things, my email address as an
oddity:

>------------------------------
>
>4. E-mail Address of the Month AWArD
>
>   This section highlights an interesting email address on the AWAD list.
>   This month the AWArD goes to:
>
>   
>Johann_Gambolputty_de_von_Ausfernschpledenschlittscrascrenbonfriediggerdin
>gledangledonglebursteinvonknackerthrasherapplebangerhorowitzgrandlickgrumb
>elmeyerspelleriactuallycutabitoutdankerkalbsfleischmittleraucher_Von_Haupt
>kopt_of_Ulm@meta-labs.com [Adam Lindsay]
>

Since then, I have received at least 75 individual responses to that
address, ranging widely between disbelief and scorn, amusement and awe.
I don't have the time to respond individually, so I'm sending this
general email. I hope it answers the majority of your questions.

The email address is a valid address, though it certainly isn't my only
address (and I don't try to put it on business cards). I created it to
vie for the "longest email address" spot in AWADnews. Unfortunately, Anu
stopped printing the longest email around that time (March-April 1998).

You may notice that there is a string in there:
"i-actually-cut-a-bit-out". The name is not my name, or anyone in my
family :). Rather, the name derives from a comedic sketch from a
show ("It's the Arts") in the first season of Monty Python's Flying
Circus. The scene consists of an interviewer tracing the life of a
little-discussed German artist:

"Why is it that nobody remembers the name of Johann Gambolputty de von
Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nurnburger-bratwustle-gernspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shonedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher
von Hautkopft of Ulm?"

[Incidentally, Monty Python has had a notable influence on computing and
the internet. One computer language designer has named his language
after the group ("Python"). Also, according to some, the group's work 
has contributed to the naming of the ubiquitous unsolicited commercial 
messages one receives (after the "Spam" sketch, in which the word spam 
is inserted randomly and frequently into an otherwise normal menu at a 
restaurant).]

So, in the spirit of fun, I created the above email address, and have
been receiving all of my AWAD mail through it for the last year and a
half. I have no idea if it is the "longest" email anywhere, though it
does approach the limits of 'sendmail'. :)

I'm in the process of setting up a web page with your emails to this
address, and some other information. It should be available soon, at:
	http://foobar.starlab.net/~adam/awad/

More unofficial information on Monty Python may be found at:
	http://www.montypython.net/
	
...including a sound clip from the sketch:
	http://www.montypython.net/sounds/sketches/johann.wav
	
(I got these addresses from a web search. You'll be able to find much
more out there.)

Greetings to all, and thanks for taking the time to send the email,
Adam Lindsay, 
aka
Johann_Gambolputty_de_von_Ausfernschpledenschlittscrascrenbonfriediggerdingledangledonglebursteinvonknackerthrasherapplebangerhorowitzgrandlickgrumbelmeyerspelleriactuallycutabitoutdankerkalbsfleischmittleraucher_Von_Hauptkopt_of_Ulm@meta-labs.com
...or...
Johann_Gambolputty_de_von_Ausfernschpledenschlittscrascrenbonfriediggerdingledangledonglebursteinvonknackerthrasherapplebangerhorowitzgrandlickgrumbelmeyerspelleriactuallycutabitoutdankerkalbsfleischmittleraucher_Von_Hauptkopt_of_Ulm@starlab.net