Unlike with archetypal Long Tail businesses like iTunes or eBay, the success of Flavorpill's weekly e-mails has less to do with new digital efficiencies than with the classic distinctions of sensibility.

(The story points are given to them in weekly e-mails by Gebert.)

The job - sending weekly e-mails or handing out fliers - is a great way to get into parties free.

She responded, and they began exchanging weekly e-mails, but they were "'story of my life as of last week,' kind of e-mails," Dr. Poritz said.

In her chapter on the impact of maternal diet, she recalls that "during my first pregnancy, I signed up to get weekly e-mails from a parenting Web site.

You can sign up to get weekly e-mails about your area of interest.

The site even promised to send "weekly e-mails, so you know what happened in your real life, should anyone ask."

Even during his professional commitments in the US, he tries to remain connected with the students by his weekly e-mails.

Mark Levy, a psychiatrist who lives in Mill Valley, Calif., said he receives weekly e-mails from Continental and United, but has never bought a ticket based on an offer listed.

For those who want to avoid the hassle of registering for multiple services, or prefer to minimize the number of weekly e-mails they receive, at least one site, Smarter Living (www.smarterliving.com), offers a service that aggregates all of the airlines' weekly specials and sends them in a single message.