Dawson conceded, however, that such specificity could easily have triggered recipient’s spam filters.

Lindsey and Salazar said that although they did expect some negative responses to their e-mail, their motive in sending it was to spread the word about their project so they could have an eclectic group of participants.

“We sent the e-mail out over House lists not to stir things up. We just wanted a diversity of opinion on the subject for our project,” Salazar said. “We knew if only our friends participated, it would not be as interesting.”

Other students defended the mass e-mail as an effort to enhance an academic endeavor, and thought that instinctive negative reactions to the subject matter were uncalled for.

“What actually is ‘gross?’” Cara C. Delzer ’04 asked. “Is that sort of blanket reprimand of a very appropriate invitation to social scholarship?”