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, please
see: urban legends 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.
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
of it here Then, if you make the recipe,
decide the cookies are that awesome, feel free to pass the recipe on.
4. 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?
5. There is no "Good Times" virus. In fact, you should never,
ever,ever forward any email containing any virus warning unless you first
confirm that an actual site of an actual company that actually deals
with viruses. Try: www.norton.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!
6. If your CC: list is regularly longer than the actual content of
your message, you're probably going to Hell.
7. If you're using Outlook, IE, or Netscape to write email, turn off the "HTML encoding." Those of us on Unix shells can't read it, and don't care enough to save the attachment and then view it with a web browser, since you're probably forwarding us a copy of the Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe any way. 
8. 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 " " < >that begin
each line .Besides, if it has gone around that many times - we've
probably already seen it.
9. 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 hot line 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 idiots who forwards
anything that promises "something bad will happen if you don't", then
something bad will happen to you if I ever meet you in a dark alley.
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 false...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. :)
[Forwarder's note: Should I forward this message? Does forwarding this message make up for all the stuff I have forwarded in the past?]    |
stop the rumors