In looking at posts for one gather member, John H, I came across this great piece on SPAM (take a look).
It reminded me of one of my pet peeves ... today I received yet another email forwarded by a friend (with about 250 addresses on top from previous forwards) containing yet another four year old urban myth about a computer virus. This friend only forwards things to me if it contains a variation on the phrase, "this has been checked on snopes".
Snopes.com is one of several great sites for checking out the veracity of content for mass-emailed items. Its important to remember, though, that just because someone claims to have checked snopes doesn't make it true. Nothing trumps checking for yourself before sending on one of these "warnings".
In this case, the exact email text I received was posted on snopes ... and debunked.
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Comments: 42
I was talking here about the mis-information emails, but will admit that even some of them bring a laugh.
Oh, it's still here.
I HATE the forwarding of old emails as 'news' here. And if I have to read ONCE more about how GOLF was so named because... well, I'm not going to perpetuate the falsehood here!
Mass-forwarding jokes and "sweet" stories still wastes bandwidth, but at least it doesn't make me want to block people.
I once checked a mass-forward, replied all with the link. The person who sent it told me that she didn't care if the story was un-true...she wanted to believe it was true. She did quit emailing me them, tho.
Blessings and best wishes - S.
You might call me slick
But this tale I have to tell you
Is about a virus that just won't quit
Yes, it's in your computer
And on your keyboard too
It may be hiding in your cup of coffee
Thankfully, I know just what to do
Which I will of course provide for you
The answer on page twenty-two
Of my new book, 'Virus in the stew'
Unless you order this book right away
You might as well lock yourself away
And just hope as you tremble in fear
That the virus comes not after you my dear.
Oh no! It's too late and my book has been eaten today
The virus got to it and now is really fat
Because it ate every page and republication is delayed
Several former students send me these silly emails that they also send to dozens of others. I have started bouncing those.
:-)
I've eaten beans for so many years, they no longer propel me.
There's nothing I detest more than a forwarded email, especially if it's a joke. Ugh.
How about a joke that has been forwarded to a dross of people ten times with all of their email addresses showing?