Why Do People...

[AKAtude]

...continue to pass on useless e-mail chain letters/messages? I'm referring to the kind that says you will get money or gifts if you pass this on to a certain number of people, if you love God you will pass this on, or that Microsoft has a new tracking device and if you participate you will get something in return.

One of the local television stations did a story on several of the e-mail messages that were circulating to find out if there was any truth to them. They discovered each one was a hoax. I even heard of a website that lists whether or not an e-mail is a hoax or not.

I receive several of these e-mails a week, sometimes more than once from my friends or co-workers. Are people really that superstitious or just that naive? I just don't get it! I simply delete them because chances are, I've read it before or something very similar to it.

[PinkCashmere]

Can I have your attention puhleeeze:

Victoria's Secret will NOT give you any free lingerie, no matter how many people you send that e-mail chain letter to. Neither will Old Navy!!!

Bill Gates and Microsoft will NOT give you a free computer!

God will continue to bless you whether or not you send the e-mail prayer back to the person who sent it to you.

For those people who make the cute little pictures by using the following symbols: : ()#@% ---- You have entirely too much time on your hands!!!!

[This message has been edited by PinkCashmere (edited July 25, 2000).]

[ZetaAce]

AKAtude- That website you are talking about is http://www.snopes.com

On a lighter note- I work at Microsoft in messaging, and somebody tried to tell ME it was the truth after I told them it wasn't. LOL! Hello, I think I would know!

ZetaAce

[This message has been edited by ZetaAce (edited July 25, 2000).]

[Eclipse]

You guys have hit on my ALL TIME TOP PET PEEVE!!! This grates on my nerves like you would not believe.
I certainly don't mind the informative forward, but dang it can you take 5 minutes to verify it's validity before you pass it on to everyone and their mother?!?!? And just because the e-mail SAID it was true because their boyfriend's mother's sister's next door neighbor used to work with a guy that it happened to does NOT mean that it is true!! Check it out for yourself!! Ask yourself, have you heard about this on the news, radio (although this is not always an indicator given the situation on the Tom Joyner Morning Show with Compaq recently)? How could they keep it a secret from the major media but it got in your email chain?

I enjoy the motivational message too, but if it worthwhile why do you feel the need to try to guilt me into passing it along by saying a pox will be placed on my house if I do not forward it???

FYI...a website for people who enjoy tracking down these legends and will give you back-up on why they are not true is http://www.delphi.com/ab-urbanlegends/start
check them out BEFORE you pass on that message.

And if this is you....go sit in the corner and no internet for you!!!

[LadyAKA]

Thank You Sorors and friends for spreading that word!!
I HATE forwards, especially the one about 'If you love the lord ....' I almost feel GUILTY if I don't send it. But what really gets me is that people pass it on just because - and they say 'I don't know if this is true but ...' URGH! Is your belief system built of water, come on.... And how about the 50 million other names on the list did they get money yet, Jeez!!

The name of one of the web sites is: http://www.urbanlegends.com/

Lastly as Soror PinkCashmere said Bill Gates/AOL/Netscape/Vicky Secrets/ and Walt Disney (or his grandsons - anyway) have all stated many times that all those e-mails are bogus....I wish people would stop filling up my inbox with GARBAGE...I do however, like an occasional funny story :-0)

[This message has been edited by LadyAKA (edited July 25, 2000).]

[PinkCashmere]

Another thing,
What is that picture supposed to be when you are to scroll down slowly? And don't you hate it when you get the ones that say if you send it to 10 people at once a little animated movie will pop up.

[LadyAKA]

LOL - I did that to the people at work and they screamed on me so bad (it was all love). No picture ever popped up for any of us, that is how I got the urban legend site and that is one of the reasons I hate forwards, I even told people not to send me them because I don't know what viruses may be attached 'Hey you never know' ....
Sisterly

P.S. What about if you send it to 10 people you will have good luck for three years, but if you only send it to 5 people then you are dooooomed for life
LOL

[AKAtude]

Oh, yeah! There was one that stated if you send the message to five people, the Taco Bell dog would run across your screen. What?!?! Come on, now!

[MaMaBuddha]

Pink Cashmere, Lady AKA, AKAtude,

i am crashing on your party

i am a recovering addict of forwarding...countless times, i've forward over 300 messages looking for the little dog to do the dance across the screen, i've ran home expecting a package home from V. Secrets, Tommy, and Ralph, and i've sent that dang rose that blesses up to 10 people 10 times.

and i am proud to say, i no longer participate in that foolishness....

[Serenity]

OK, did anyone get the one about KFC not being chicken? Do you know my students tried to convince me that it was true after I told them I saw on "Extra" that it was a hoax.

Months later, the story was still circulating. When the new semester started, my new students were still passing around this misinformation.

[LadyAKA]

Ladies yall have me over here rolling on the floor laughing, and I am still at work, gosh this is a good way to end the night.
My girl MaMaBuddha and her 300 messages waiting for the dog to dance across the screen is the funniest !! Gurl, I am so glad you gave up that profession.

[Cookee]

Greetings Ladies:


You all have me cracking up here. I don't like the one fwd. that always seems to circulate with a different child's name that goes......YOU HAVE NO HEART IF YOU DON'T FORWARD THIS....then it goes on to say that this child is sick and some corporation will pay money for every person it's forwarded to. Is there any truth to this?

Take Care,
Cookee

[humblebumblebee]

The award for my all time most hated internet forward goes to the many "helpful emails" I get from friends that are looking out for me. Emails that warn about stolen kidneys, AIDS infested needles sticking out of public phones, tampons containing asbestos, Taco Bell selling a taco with a pregnant roach that laid eggs in a woman's cheek <GROSS >, Proctor and Gamble (?) belonging to satan, Tommy Hilfiger admitting to the world (and Oprah) he is a racist, yadda, yadda, yadda. Those are the WORST because they contain just enough truth (or appear to) that people acually pass it along, so I get the email from 10 different people.
The email that claims to the reveal the secrets of the BGLOs is a close second. Who in there right mind would walk up to a sorority member and press on their breast, hop up and down, cross their eyes while rubbing their belly and saying gibbldy goop nine times fast to perp?
Good Grief!
HumbleBumbleBee

[This message has been edited by humblebumblebee (edited July 25, 2000).]

[tickledpink]

I know, I know, this is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. If I get an email that has a "send this to __ people or else" message on it, I never send it, even if it's the funniest thing in the world. The thing about the dancing taco bell dog --- the thought alone was funny enough for me, I didn't send it.
A little off the subject, I will, however, tell you one that I fell for, hook, line and sinker (so MaMa, don't feel bad) . ---> How many of you have ever recieved the email with the "magic" eyeball on it and the deck of cards? You look at the deck of cards, then pick one, stare at the eyeball, and then flip to the next screen. The email then says they are "reading your mind" through "mind manipulation" via the eyeball, and when you flip to the next screen, the card that you thought of is not there. Ya'll, I seriously freaked out and stepped back from the screen. When I figured out the secret (it really doesn't take rocket science) I was like --duh!!--

[LadyAKA]

I am back and it is morning time and I am still laughing ...
humblebumblebee, every e-mail you mentioned I have received and it is sad that sometimes I can't tell what is real or fake .... But they had me with the Taco bell roach thing - LOL

Cookee, I think there maybe some truth to the 'My child got hit by a car ...' but how in heck would we know ... can any one speak up about this?

tickledpink, I have never seen the magic eye one but it sure sounds FUNNNNNNNNNY!