Systems and methods for disseminating information

A central information dissemination system that makes information available to the public, comprising:

• means for registering electronic mail addresses at a central facility for different information disseminators that distribute promotional information;
• means for storing, in a database at the central facility, the promotional information for each information disseminator in association with the electronic mail address of that information disseminator;
• means for receiving an incoming electronic mail at the central facility, said incoming electronic mail addressed to one of the registered electronic mail addresses;
• and
• means for creating in response to the incoming electronic mail, an outgoing electronic mail that is based on the promotional information associated with the registered electronic mail address of said incoming electronic mail.

A central information dissemination system that makes information available to the public, comprising a central facility at which an information dissemination software application has been implemented to configure the central facility to:

• register electronic mail addresses at for different information disseminators that distribute promotional information;
• store, in a database at the central facility, the promotional information for each information disseminator in association with the electronic mail address of that information disseminator;
• receive an incoming electronic mail, said incoming electronic mail addressed to one of the registered electronic mail addresses;
• and
• create in response to the incoming electronic mail, an outgoing electronic mail that is based on the promotional information associated with the registered electronic mail address of said incoming electronic mail.

A method comprising:

• registering electronic mail addresses each of which has (1) a fixed portion, which serves as a global identifier for a central information dissemination service, and (2) a code portion, said code portion of each electronic mail address being associated with particular subject matter and associated with information related to that particular subject matter that one of a plurality of information disseminators is to disseminate;
• publishing one of said code portions in connection with said particular subject matter with which that code portion is associated;
• and
• disseminating, by said information disseminator service on behalf of said one of said plurality of information disseminators, said information associated with said published one of said code portions.

A system comprising:

• means for registering electronic mail addresses each of which has (1) a fixed portion, which serves as a global identifier for a central information dissemination service, and (2) a code portion, said code portion of each electronic mail address being associated with particular subject matter and associated with information related to that particular subject matter that one of a plurality of information disseminators is to disseminate;
• means for publishing one of said code portions in connection with said particular subject matter with which that code portion is associated;
• and
• means for disseminating, by said information disseminator service on behalf of said one of said plurality of information disseminators, said information associated with said published one of said code portions.

A system comprising:

• a central facility at which a software application has been implemented to configure the central facility to register electronic mail addresses each of which has (1) a fixed portion, which serves as a global identifier for a central information dissemination service, and (2) a code portion, said code portion of each electronic mail address being associated with particular subject matter and associated with information related to that particular subject matter that one of a plurality of information disseminators is to disseminate;
• media for publishing one of said code portions in connection with said particular subject matter with which that code portion is associated;
• and
• the central facility being further configured to disseminate on behalf of said one of said plurality of information disseminators, said information associated with said published one of said code portions.

A machine-readable storage medium encoded with a set of machine executable instructions for using a central facility to perform a method for providing a central information dissemination service that makes information available to the public, comprising:

• registering electronic mail addresses at a central facility for different information disseminators that distribute promotional information;
• storing, in a database at the central facility, the promotional information for each information disseminator in association with the electronic mail address of that information disseminator;
• receiving an incoming electronic mail at the central facility, said incoming electronic mail addressed to one of the registered electronic mail addresses;
• and
• creating in response to the incoming electronic mail, an outgoing electronic mail that is based on the promotional information associated with the registered electronic mail address of said incoming electronic mail.