By now, everyone's heard that AOL's being sued by their volunteers. But it's just history repeating itself. One disgruntled volunteer in Tarzana already took AOL to small claims court in 1995.

That case was a legal nightmare for AOL. A judge ultimately ruled against AOL after their Federal Express package challenging the court's jurisdiction absolutely, positively didn't make it onto his desk in time. The Tarzana plaintiff built on a Pennsylvania volunteer's suit -- filed in 1993 -- that dragged on for years, until it was settled out-of-court, reportedly for $100,000.

Erroll Trobee -- the Pennsylvania plaintiff -- told a San Francisco legal paper, "This case will never go to trial, because the implications are too great if they lose. It could change the way people think about minimum wage and who you have to consider an employee."

Since the Department of Labor is evaluating that issue anyway, it looks like that chicken's due home any minute now..

. . .

How did Microsoft's Deedee Welsh get the party favors for the notorious "Geekfests"? "Everything that's out in the hallway we steal."

For years now, the renegade marketer has scavenged the Microsoft campus, appropriating leftover promotional items for over 15 Geekfests. "You can't imagine the dumb giveaways Microsoft has that they will put our name on." Camera bags, yo-yo's, basketballs, garbage cans, silverware, and even Microsoft mousetraps.

And ceramic Mardi Gras masks. "I went to this one storage place off-campus and found hundreds of these masks, the butt-ugliest masks in the world. So I just grabbed them." Then, at the next Geekfest, "we came up with a new game called Geek Skeet." Players would yell to the head of Microsoft's Developer Division, "Pull!" and he'd toss the masks into the air. Partygoers competing for prizes would try to clobber the masks with a mushball, leaving a shower of ceramic pieces.

What would happen if Bill Gates showed up? One night he did just that--with his whole executive staff! "My stomach just finked", says Welsh.

But Gates loved it..

. . .

By the way, we saw an interesting banner ad the other day.

You will have one view
to all the information you need.
Whether you want it or not.
Microsoft 2000.

"Microsoft Corporation."

(Copyright© 1999 by Thom Stark -- all rights reserved)

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