Garbage in, garbage out -- or GIGO -- is old shorthand for what happens when bad programming leads to computer snafus.
So, the latest snafu in congressional computer systems might be described as a case of SIPO -- spam in, pork out.
Ever since independent counsel Kenneth Starr's report to Congress was posted on the Internet last September, the impeachment proceedings produced a flood of e-mail messages to congressional offices.
The Capitol's central e-mail server has received up to 1 million messages a day, compared with an average of 80,000 daily in the pre-Monica era. At times, it shut down completely, and e-mails from outside the House computer system stacked up for a week before delivery.
Late last year, as many as 1,000 e-mails a day were sent to Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Addison, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and the man who led the effort to remove President Clinton from office, even though he doesn't have a published e-mail address.
"There's a lot of spam," says committee spokesman Sam Stratman, referring to mass-produced e-mail typically used to advertise get-rich-quick schemes and the like. Only this spam was generated mostly by anti-impeachment groups.
A similar number went to Rep. John Shimkus, R-Springfield, but less than 5% came from his rural Downstate district. The overload forced him to shut off his public e-mail address and shift to a system that accepts e-mail only through the House Web page, which requires the sender to enter a name and address.
Similarly, the office of Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., received a total of 18,000 e-mails in December, including internally generated messages among staff. When the trial shifted to the Senate, his office averaged 2,000 e-mails a day.
That includes messages on every subject, but clearly, impeachment has been Topic A. About 30% of correspondents leave Illinois mailing addresses for replies, a spokeswoman says.
Congressional aides say e-mail is creating a permanent shift in the way constituents communicate. After someone enters an address and sends an e-mail to a member of Congress, the next message just takes a click of the mouse to send -- a lot faster, cheaper and more convenient than writing a letter, finding a stamp and going to a mailbox.
"We're getting a lot of e-mail buddies," says Craig Roberts, chief of staff for Rep. Shimkus, adding that electronic messages now far outstrip the letters received by his office, not counting mass mailings generated by various interest groups.
Typically, congressional offices respond by regular mail to messages accompanied by a mailing address. But the volume is forcing some -- such as Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Joliet -- to respond directly by e-mail.
"He's been known to sit down and chomp away at the keyboard," a spokeswoman says.