Okay. Here comes the soapbox.
I know how fun and easy it is to use email to forward warnings of dangerous and devious doings to all the people in our inbox--for their safety and protection, of course. I delighted in these deeds just as much as everyone. Until... that fateful email sent by a friend patiently explaining that the virus warning just received was a hoax, and to check it out before sending it on. He recommended this website: www.breakthechain.org and I've been an addict ever since. You can search out all sorts of articles. (Another site is www.snopes.com but, I favor the break-the-chain.) Some of you may have received forwarded warnings right back with a link for an article to read. I hope you haven't minded.
I suppose this is my stand against the "herd" mentality of just sending stuff along without investigating first, to find out if it could be true. Otherwise, there's alot of "half-truths" masquerading as the real thing, and alot of people worrying for nothing. Common sense actually goes a long way to de-bunking these warnings, if we take the time to stop and think, instead of hitting forward, and send.
Anyway. I'm on the box today because I received two emails, nearly identical, about a current scam letter that is circulating. I'll get off now. Thanks! =)
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2 comments:
There is one person in particular who loves to forward these kinds of warnings to us. I've explained the snopes site, but that's not the most helpful for the less-than-computer-literate crowd. I'm totally on the box with you!
I just rarely forward everything and tend to delete it all. Even, gasp, the first name chain thing I get from parents of grade schoolers (I am evil). But, I haven't died or been cursed, even though some of them say that if I don't send them to at least 10 people all sorts of evil things will happen to me . . .
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