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Thirteen things EVERYONE should know (i.e. about Internet hoaxes!)
1. Big companies don't do business via chain letter. Bill Gates is not
giving you $1000, and Disney is not giving you a free vacation. There is no
baby food company issuing class-action checks. MTV will not give you
backstage passes if you forward something to the most people. You can relax;
there is no need to pass it on "just in case it's true." Furthermore, just
because someone said in the message, four generations back, that "we checked
it out and it's legit," does not actually make it true.
2. There is no kidney theft ring in New Orleans. No one is waking up in a
bathtub full of ice, even if a friend of a friend swears it happened to
their cousin. If you are hell-bent on believing the kidney-theft ring
stories or others, please see:
http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.cfm
And I quote: "The National Kidney Foundation has repeatedly issued requests
for actual victims of organ thieves to come forward and tell their stories.
None have." That's "none" as in "zero." Not even your friend's cousin.
Besides, if you were to wake up in ice, you would die of hypothermia!!!
3. Neiman Marcus doesn't really sell a $200 cookie recipe. And even if they
do, we all have it. And even if you don't, you can get a copy at:
http://bl.net/forwards/
Then, if you make the recipe, decide the cookies are that awesome, feel free
to pass the recipe on.
4. We all know all 500 ways to drive your roommates crazy, irritate
coworkers, gross out bathroom stall neighbors and creep out people on an
elevator. We also know exactly how many engineers, college students, Usenet
posters and people from each and every world ethnicity it takes to change a
light bulb.
5. If the latest NASA rocket disaster(s) DID contain plutonium that went to
particulate over the eastern seaboard, do you REALLY think this information
would reach the public via an AOL chain-letter?
6. There is no "Good Times" virus. In fact, you should never, ever, ever
forward any email containing any virus warning unless you first confirm it
at an actual site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses.
Try:
http://www.symantec.com/
And even then, don't forward it. We don't care. And you cannot get a virus
from a flashing IM or email, you have to download....ya know, like a FILE!
7. If your CC: list is regularly longer than the actual content of your
message, you're probably going to spamhell.
8. Mr. Rogers was not a Navy Seal and he did not wear the sweaters to coverup tattoos.
9. If you still absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message from a
friend, at least have the decency to trim the eight miles of headers showing
everyone else who's received it over the last 6 months. It sure wouldn't
hurt to get rid of all the "" (or the >) that begin each line. Besides, if
it has gone around that many times -- we've probably already seen it.
10. Craig Shergold (or Sherwood, or Sherman, etc.) in England is not dying
of cancer or anything else at this time and would like everyone to stop
sending him their business cards. He apparently is also no longer a "little
boy" either.
11. The "Make a Wish" foundation is a real organization doing fine work, but
they have had to establish a special toll free hotline in response to the
large number of Internet hoaxes using their good name and reputation. it is
distracting them from the important work they do.
12. If you are one of those insufferable people who forwards anything that
promises "something bad will happen if you don't," then something bad will probably
happen to you.
13. Women really are suffering in Afghanistan, and PBS and NEA funding are
still vulnerable to attack (although not at the present time) but forwarding
an email won't help either cause in the least. If you want to help,contact
your local legislative representative, or get in touch with Amnesty
International or the Red Cross.
As a general rule, email "signatures" are easily faked and mean nothing to
anyone with any power to do anything about whatever the petition is
complaining about. (P.S. There is no bill pending before Congress that will
allow long distance companies to charge you for long distance when using the
Internet.)
Bottom Line ... composing Email or posting something on the Net is as easy
as writing on the walls of a public restroom. Don't automatically believe
it unless it's proven true...ASSUME it's false, unless there is proof that
it's true.
Got it?
Good. Now, forward this message to ten friends and you will win the
Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. :-)
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