When I was a kid, I loved fried Spam and scrambled eggs. Still do. But I'm also the guy who likes chipped beef on toast and in boot camp, SOS was the highlight of my dining experience. Yummy!

These days "spam" has taken on a new meaning, and I get a couple of dozen wacko messages a day from Anna for discount prescriptions to the miracle of Viagra. So I omit the messages, which takes a minute. And maybe another couple of minutes are wasted deleting messages that appear to be from someone I think I know but don't. It's annoying, but no big deal.

But what does burn my toast is when friends and business associates can't get through our spam filter. For example: At the end of each column you'll find my e-mail address, and when you send me a message, I usually answer it the same day. Often my reply prompts an e-mail discussion and, as the discussion progresses, my new friends suddenly find their messages can't be delivered. Eventually, they send a simple message that gets through. And we end up continuing the discussion on the phone.

What's going on here? Why is it that the spam messages get through but legit business messages don't? When I talk to our IT/spam police, they tell me the spam barons know all the tricks of getting through the filters but my new friends aren't as savvy, so their legit correspondence sometimes gets stopped at the door.

But in spite of my annoying experiences with e-mail, the Internet has certainly enabled faster and more effective communications. Just think about how it was in the old days, when you had to depend on a bingo card (snail mail), a sales rep (and get a pitch) or a phone number in an ad to get detailed product data. There was an implied promise that if you called that number, you'd get the info you wanted. Instead, you either were put on hold until your ear fell asleep or you ended up talking to someone who didn't know his nose from his elbow about the advertised product and was just passing time until a bartender's job had opened up.

Thankfully, all that now has changed. Today, Web sites provide instant, easy-to-access detailed product information, reference designs-you can even request samples. There's no need to call the factory or a sales rep; the data is available when you want it. And there are even Web sites that provide instant access to technical articles on subjects that match your interests. The system is spam-free-no annoying sales follow-up calls or unwanted e-mail blasts. Technology has delivered a perfect information-retrieval system. What a wonderful day it is!

When Frank isn't frying up Spam and eggs or making chipped beef on toast, he can be reached at fburge@cmp.com. If your e-mail gets blocked, please leave a message at (650) 513-4256.

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