Internet available, and so everything was done on paper and distributed by post. We issued an Information Alert, listing recent, pertinent publications, to members of the List at least annually. The edge-punch cards that were the Data Collection were roughly 12.5 9 40 cm, with holes along two edges that could be coded and opened to the outside of the card, for sorting with a long needle; obviously, the system of classification was limited in precision and scope. All the same, a few aspiring food (and water) virologists did avail themselves of the service, and we responded as best we could with our limited personnel. Details of these efforts appear in the WHO Manual on Food Virology (Cliver 1983 