An E-Mail Virus Stole My Cousin's Kidneys
(And other popular E-Mail topics)
Someone has suggested that this should be required reading to get
an e-mail account. Think about it . . .
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 bent on believing the
kidney-theft ring stories, please see:
Urban Legends
"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
at:
Cookie Recipe
Then, if you make the recipe, decide the cookies are that awesome,
feel free to pass the recipe on (without the fake story please).
Note:
If you are not sure if the cookies are awesome, bring them to the computer
room at the library and we'll check it out for you :-)
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 it through an actual site of an actual company that actually
deals with viruses. Try:
Norton
And even then, don't forward it to us. We don't care. We use Linux.
6. If your cc: list is regularly longer than the actual content of
your message, you may need to consider computer lessons or therapy :-)
7. If you're using Outlook, IE, or Netscape to write email, please
turn off the "HTML encoding." There are many people who use E-Mail
connections that do not support HTML. They have to go through several
steps to see the message you are trying to send. They may figure it is
just another copy of the cookie recipe and delete it without going to all
the trouble.
8. When you do find something that you want to forward, trim off the
headers that show the E-Mail addresses of everyone else it has been sent to
in the past. Leaving the addresses in place is confusing for new
users, annoying to many more experienced users, and (depending on where the
email ends up) can result your friends on many mailing lists that they might
prefer not to be on.
(If you can do it easily, trim out the <<<<<< at the front of each line also)
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.
10. 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.
11. If you are one of those who forwards anything
that promises "something bad will happen if you don't", too
late...it already has!
12. 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 e-mail 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,
e-mail "signatures" are easily faked and mean nothing to anyone with
any power to do anything about whatever the competition 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.)
13. The CEO Proctor & Gamble has NEVER been a guest on any of the TV
talk shows to proclaim P&G's allegiance to Satan...even Sally Jesse's
see for yourself at:
Sally Jessie Rumor FAQ
All the disclaimers to this fact are posted on the various shows web
sites. This is one of the longest running hoaxes anywhere...way
before email was ever known by most people. (For a complete list of
the info, ref:
PG Rumor FAQ
14. And Oprah
has never met Tommy Hilfiger, either. Call her hotline and ask!
15. Bottom Line... composing e-mail or posting something on the Net is as
easy as writing on the walls of a public restroom. Use the same
judgement as you would use in considering anything you find written
on the bathroom stall at a filling station.
Don't automatically believe an E-Mail story until it's proven false
...ASSUME it's false, unless there is proof that it's true.
16. If you want to share this with somebody, consider sending them the URL for
the page. Unless you know that they only have E-Mail, it is probably a
better use of resorces (such as their time and band width) to point them
to the web page.
17. Enjoy this wonderful tool we have available to us and use it wisely,
please think before clicking! Now, forward this message to ten friends
and you will win the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes....I
SWEAR!!! (SMILE) ;)
And now for the credits:
Thanks to the friend
who forwarded this to us
in an E-Mail (sigh)