Quote Originally Posted by Riverkilt
... in 1988 (if memory serves) for our first Tartan Day, I wore my regular kilt to work as ... told me that wearing a kilt to work was "inappropriate", and that I needed to remove it or be sent home. I told him to put it in writing, which he did, via e-mail. I sent his e-mail to our national membership chairperson (I'm a regional commissioner for the MacDonalds), and within 24 hours, I was getting a ton of supportive e-mails from all over the world.
Hmmm ... let's hope memory doesn't serve or that there is some other explanation. To my knowledge, in 1988 e-mail as we know it now simply didn't exist. While it's true that e-mail actually predates the Internet (rudimentary versions of this type of communication existed as far back as the early sixties, but outside of the military and closed academic environments, e-mail was rare at best), it certainly wasn't in common use until the early nineties.

"... and within 24 hours, I was getting a ton of supportive e-mails from all over the world."

In 1988, vastly different and incompatible systems were in place. The development of protocols and standards that made e-mail feasible for broad based use took place in the nineties, not in the eighties.

The story above suggests that an international e-mail campaign served to pressure the narrow-minded administrators to change their tune. I hope that it is true that pressure was brought to bear and that the author simply confused his dates, OR that there is some other simple explanation. I'd very much like to believe that story.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore