Bill Gates' Cash and Butt-Spiders
Computers and Technology
| February 2, 2003
| Tim
Am I the only person in the world with common sense and access to Google?
Sometimes I ask this while reading over my weekly dose of hoaxmail sent to me by concerned friends. I just comforted a friend who was worried that Indonesian jumping spiders are nesting under toilet seats around the country.
Last week someone with my e-mail address sent out mail stating that if I forwarded his message to everyone I knew, I could make "at least $10,000" from Bill Gates. Interestingly, the check was supposed to be written by Intel, not Microsoft. I'm thinking he should take everyone on the list out for a good dinner -- seems fitting since he made $10,000 (at least!) by spamming all of us.
(Note, "spam" is also not an acronym. Its a spiced ham product loved by Vikings.)
People often look at me like I'm an alien when I state that humans have a much stronger tendancy towards evil than good. Yet I've noticed that while lies spread quickly, nobody wants to forward the truth to the same list of parties. "I know I made my friends worried about this false threat, but its better that they remain worried than that I might look bad for making a mistake."
And of course, its much easier to spam a bunch of people without thinking than take even ten seconds to check Google to see if it is true.
I still remember the "Good Times!!!" hoax. Hilarious stuff. It never ceases to amaze me what email people will forward. However, I have found two successful methods of getting people to stop. Repeatedly pointing them to 'snopes' http://www.snopes.com seems to eventually convince them to check details for themselves or simply replying to them (if I know them) with an "unsubscribe." It's a bit subtle and a bit geeky, but it seems to get the message across that I am not interested in their bulk email. I am on nobodies' "joke list," and I say that proudly.
I've had people I've respected send me e-mail warning that, among other things, shampoo causes cancer, bottled water is poisonous, psycho organ thieves are on the loose and someone they "knew" brought a "dog" home from a vacation to the third world that turned out to be a giant rat.
You'll be happy to know that in every case, I've replied with links to myth debunking sites and with a warning of my own: Waste my time with spam like this again and you'll think death by shampoo is nothing!
(kidding)
I do spend great gobs of time forwarding "truth" to friends, I wonder if that's why I'm rarely invited to any of their parties... :-)
I *love* the story about the giant rat-dog! Another favorite are the notes which promise me bad luck if I fail afflict 10 or more friends with the same kind of omen.
well i love u guys in your company and wanted to be part of it well still an undergraduate in Nigeria well no comment yet bye
My policy for folks who send me these hoaxmails is as follows:
First Offense: I point out the hoax, and point them at hoaxbusters and snopes.
Second Offense: I remind them about snopes and hoaxbusters. I then inform them that I am smarter than they are, and therefore don't require their assistance in these matters.
Third Offense: I start forwarding them the spam I recieve on a daily basis.
Fourth Offense: ...it hasn't come to that yet thankfully.
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I still remember the "Good Times!!!" hoax. Hilarious stuff. It never ceases to amaze me what email people will forward. However, I have found two successful methods of getting people to stop. Repeatedly pointing them to 'snopes' http://www.snopes.com seems to eventually convince them to check details for themselves or simply replying to them (if I know them) with an "unsubscribe." It's a bit subtle and a bit geeky, but it seems to get the message across that I am not interested in their bulk email. I am on nobodies' "joke list," and I say that proudly.
Posted by: harry on February 2, 2003 11:33 PM