Subject: The Purdue Writing Lab goes ONLINE!
From: [email-masked] (Dave Taylor)
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 1994 05:02:00 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.edu.composition,alt.usage.english,misc.writing,misc.education.language.english,alt.education.distance,misc.education

If you do any writing, odds are good that you occasionally stop
mid-sentence, pondering something grammar or usage-related.  Perhaps
you're not sure how to cite a work in proper MLA format, or want to
lambaste a colleague for their grammatical lapses, but want to double
check your own understanding of sentence structure before launching
your attack.  If you're online at the time, it can be downright
impossible to find correct English usage information, and experts in
writing and usage issues, online. Until now.

Beginning earlier this year, the Purdue University Writing Lab hooked
into the campus network with a service called OWL, the Online Writing
Lab. OWL is an easy, electronic, mail-based information service that
you can access any time by sending mail to [email-masked]'
with the subject 'owl-request' and the message: 'send help'. The
result: you'll learn how to get free copies of a wide variety of
different handouts ranging from resume writing and proper punctuation
to the difference between MLA and APA citation formats.

Perhaps the most important and valuable service that OWL offers users,
however, is the ability to ask the tutors in the Writing Lab questions
without having to be on campus.  If you have a question as you're
writing a paper, simply send it to 'owl@sage', and your answer will be
mailed back promptly, usually within 48 hours.

The OWL system has been designed with ease of use as a primary goal,
for both users directly on a campus computer system, and those that
might be dialed up from home, remote campus locations, or off in the
Internet distances.

The Writing Lab is a tutorial service for members of the Purdue
community where over 3000 students visit each semester to discuss
writing, specific papers, check in with the Grammar Hotline, etc.
There is no charge, though writers with complex and involved questions
are requested to visit in person (226 Heavilon Hall). All folk
affiliated with Purdue or on the Internet are invited to try the OWL
program by sending mail to [email-masked] to learn about the
services available.  Remember to use 'owl-request' as the subject line,
please.

-ends