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I confess ... I am one of those people.
When I get one of those "URGENT! This is very important" emails with instructions like:
"Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer."
"I checked Snopes, and it is for real. Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP."
I march my happy ass over to Snopes (a great urban legend resource if youhave been living under a rock for 10 years are not familiar) and check for myself. 99% of the time Snopes will indicate it is an urban legend, which was true in this case.
Back in the day, I used to send emails to people telling them they were spreading urban legends but soon learned no one likes a smarty-pants. Now I just read, confirm and delete. I figure they were just trying to help out - whypiss spit in their Cheerios.
I also have issues with those puzzle type emails. I got this one today:
When I get one of those "URGENT! This is very important" emails with instructions like:
"Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer."
... and then tells me ...
"I checked Snopes, and it is for real. Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP."
I march my happy ass over to Snopes (a great urban legend resource if you
Back in the day, I used to send emails to people telling them they were spreading urban legends but soon learned no one likes a smarty-pants. Now I just read, confirm and delete. I figure they were just trying to help out - why
I also have issues with those puzzle type emails. I got this one today:
I can't help myself. I.MUST.FIGURE.IT.OUT! Fortunately, this one was fairly easy to decipher, but I've been know to spend an hour or two a few minutes trying to figure out the system - not giving up until I've solved the puzzle. I just have to know how it's done.
I wonder what it's like to be one of those people who get these and say, "Cool! Wonder how he does that?" and then just let it go. Ahhh ... the joys of a life where puzzles don't have to be solved!
Anyone else out there that does this? C'mon! I know I'm not the only one!
I wonder what it's like to be one of those people who get these and say, "Cool! Wonder how he does that?" and then just let it go. Ahhh ... the joys of a life where puzzles don't have to be solved!
Anyone else out there that does this? C'mon! I know I'm not the only one!
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11 comments:
I get those e-mails. I want to torture the people who sent them. My busy schedule prevents me from doing more to them than a pin in a VooDoo doll.
With puzzles I do enjoy trying to figure them out but not this one because I have always found David Copperfield to be freakishly creepy. Cheers Dana!!
I call the first emails "Chicken Littles". I *ahem* have Snopes in my Bloglines and read it daily. So I am usually ahead of the curve.
I like to figure out the David C. ones too. And I agree with Matt-Man...he is freakishly creepy. (Copperfield, not Matt-Man)
That one was easy - but I probably wouldn't spend more time on it if it were more complicated...LOL.
I don't get any of those urban legend emails very often. I used to email back with the link to snopes, but some people persisted. So, I would reply to all with the link to snopes. That's when they took me off their email list. Some people just prefer their own version of reality.
When I get an email with some puzzle or something like that, I just delete it. They bore me and I have better things to do. Okay, not really, but I do delete them.
I had a really bad turn of events with one of these types of emails in the past, so when I receive them, I just turn around and delete them, marking them as spam as I go.
So, when family sends me digital birthday cards, or valentines day cards, or happy anniversary cards, I turn around and send them an email telling them to get off their lazy asses and send me a real card via mail. I also tell them that if doing it this way spoils all the fun for them, then they have my permission to lace the envelope with a little bit of anthrax to make life interesting.
Of course your card is gone...it is 5 different cards! LOL
Snopes rules IMHO...I also stopped replying telling people to check their email facts..
I'm a party pooper and ask people to not send me that shit. In those words. Crude but effective.
I used to send back the a link to Snopes, debunking their little fairy tales, but some people just can't put down the kool-aid. I have better things to do, like live vicariously through other peoples blogs!
At least the spammers are getting smarter by saying they already checked Snopes. The people who forward those things probably think "oh well they said they checked so it must be true!"
I ALWAYS check Snopes for myself.
I am a Snopes checker as well but I don't care how magic works. In fact, because I know it is an illusion I am really not interested at all.
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