I had some questions about my breakfast cereal one morning, but the only General Mills Web site was for job openings. Why let a detail like that stand in the way? I tracked down the system administrators through Internic, and fired off my questions.

Subj: Country Corn Flakes
Date: 96-06-18 14:09:04 EDT
From: Baked Ham
To: mmeinz@netmgr.genmills.com
CC: Baked Ham

Whew! You have no idea what I had to go through to get an e-mail address for you guys! Your General Mills web site has NO e-mail address listed! What gives?!

Anyway Mike, I was eating a box of General Mills Country Corn Flakes this morning and noticed two things.

1) I bought the box because it said on the front, "Better Tasting Than Kellogg's Corn Flakes!" But then I got home and saw, in tiny letters, "among those with a preference." My doctor said that this means that you had a taste test where you asked people which corn flake they liked better. Most people said they didn't have a preference, NOT that they liked yours better! You lied to me!

2) I like reading the box while I eat my cereal, and I've noticed that you guys just don't take the time to write interesting stuff anymore. But with your Country Corn Flakes, you've sunk to a new low! On one side you had the nutrition label, and on the opposite side you had ANOTHER nutrition label -- IN SPANISH! Good Lord, why would I ever need a Spanish nutrition label? Spare me! As if the Spaniards couldn't read the English version, anyway! The only difference is that "vitamin" is spelled "vitamino"!

I'm very disappointed in these corn flakes! And don't forget to tell me why you don't have an e-mail address!

John Myers Hargrave

Subj: Re: Country Corn Flakes
Date: 96-07-03 14:04:46 EDT
From: Baked Ham
To: mmeinz@netmgr.genmills.com
To: dmonk@netmgr.genmills.com
CC: Baked Ham

Don and Mike:

Apparently my first e-mail to you guys got lost, because you never responded! I would hope you didn't just throw it away! Do you have any idea how many boxes of Cheerios my wife and I buy per year? I'd hate to think that we would have to switch to Life over one lousy e-mail!

If you could please PROMPTLY reply to my original message (attached), I would appreciate it!

I'm feeling soggy,
John Myers Hargrave

Subj: Re: Country Corn Flakes
Date: 96-07-03 18:19:59 EDT
From: MEINZ000@mail.genmills.com
To: BakedHam@aol.com (SMTP -ABAKEDH (052))

I have forwarded your message to the Consumer Services department. Evidentally, they were unable to respond to you because you did not provide a return email address in the body of your message or a postal address. Your latest message is missing the same information. There is a 1-800 number on the side of the box. Please feel free to use that if you need immediate assistance.

The jobs.genmills.com www site is not intended for consumers. It is intended for college students seeking employment. Because of this, there is no link between it and the Consumer Services department.

Subj: Internet Messages
Date: 96-07-11 11:36:43 EDT
From: ELIAS000@mail.genmills.com
To: BakedHam@aol.com (JOHN MYERS HARGRAVE-INTERNET)

John: I did answer your message, don't know why you didn't get it. Please address your E-Mail to the cereal address instead of Mike Meinz.

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

From: General Mills, 76711,3522
TO: John Myers Hargrave, INTERNET:SMTP(ABAKEDH)
DATE: 6/25/96 10:41 AM

RE: Copy of: Country Corn Flakes

Dear John: Country Corn Flakes does have an E-Mail address. It is CountryCornFlakes@CIS.CompuServe.com.

I don't know where your doctor got his information concerning taste tests, but his information is not correct. Our taste tests are conducted by companies who specialize in systematic testing and do indeed know what they are doing.

We are not aware of the nutrition facts being on two panels, what was the series number on the box ? If you should have any more questions or comments, feel free to send them to us at the E-Mail address given above.

Sincerely,

Glenda Eliasen
General Mills
Consumer Services
writing at 10:41 AM,
on Tuesday, June 25, 1996