message in a bottle?

this morning, i discovered my email had been hacked.  someone had actually obtained my password, and sent out a message to everyone in my address book (and if you use gmail, you know i mean EVERYONE) advertising an apparently oddly legitimate wholesale electronics website.  luckily it happened when i was at my computer, so i was able to send out an apology to my entire address book just minutes later.

what a drag, thought i.  i changed all the appropriate passwords and security questions (oh, those damn security questions.  does anybody who is over the age of 5 really have a favorite color?  that doesn't change?  even today, i forgot my passoword to typepad, and couldn't remember how i had TYPED the answer to my security question.  augh!).  creepy.  i hoped nothing else ill would come of it.

and then the nice thing happened.  all these people that i love responded to my email.  people i haven't talked to for...in some cases, years!  i'm not sure what the metaphor is....echo?  feedback loop?  maybe a boomerang, that you thought was just a frisbee.  now, to return a few of those emails....