Email etiquette

[PaddingtonBear]

This really bugs me, but I am not sure if according to email ettiquette it is ok to do.

So, my sister sent out an email. It isn't a personal email, but rather one of those public interest type emails that ask you to keep it going forward. I then receive an email a day later from someone else on her distribution list that got the same email. He wrote back to the WHOLE list my sister sent it to, basicly chastising her, and anyone else who believed the email for sending out an email that is incorrect, including links to check out "the truth".

I was personally offended. If I got an email from someone that I thought had incorrect info, I would just email back the person that sent it to me, NOT the entire list they sent it too.

thoughts on this?

Well, it depends on what you mean by "chastising her"? Was it like, "Hey, OP's sis, I just wanted to give you an fyi that this is not accurate, check this link to snopes". To me that's not chastising, its correcting misinformation. If your sister had on her big girl panties she'd probably laugh it off and thank the guy for correcting her.

Frankly in your case, OP, I think your sister was the very rude one for forwarding lies in the first place. Always check things out first. Otherwise you are a liar, whether of commission (intentionally forwarding lies) or omission (neglecting to check out a rumor before fowarding).

I am super senstive about this, especially after receiving countless emails full of lies during the elections - from friends and family on both sides. I will never understand why its ok to spread libelous gossip about a person you don't know (candidate). The same people who forward these emails would never spread emails full of gossip about Madge in accounting's real father or accuse the bosses wife of passing her daughter's baby off as her own. Seriously, the things people would never in a million years say about the "real" people in thier lives they don't hesitate to say about celebs, politicians, etc., without verifying the truth first. I don't understand it.

 

[dispor]

Yep, just yesterday I sent out a "reply all" to correct a "garbage email" (as I referred to it!).

Sorry, I don't want some elderly lady NOT being helped in a store's parking lot because someone read in an email that the elderly are being used to lure victims in. Geesh!

Oh, and this one in particular bothered me because it had a line at the bottom that read "This has been verified with Snopes." The snopes site says that line was added in 2008 version of the email.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yep, just yesterday I sent out a "reply all" to correct a "garbage email" (as I referred to it!).

Sorry, I don't want some elderly lady NOT being helped in a store's parking lot because someone read in an email that the elderly are being used to lure victims in. Geesh!

Oh, and this one in particular bothered me because it had a line at the bottom that read "This has been verified with Snopes." The snopes site says that line was added in 2008 version of the email.

I still checked those and then get completely shocked when snopes verifies it.

I haven't gotten one yet though where the verification was just an added feature to keep the fib going.

 

[C.Ann]

I've picked up viruses on my computer twice now - from forwards and attachments.. I don't even open them anymore - just delete them..

I figure if it's something that is in fact true, the person who has "verified" the authenticity will send me a personal email - minus the forwards and attachements..

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Does anyone remember the dogs needing adoption e-mail. The two that could NOT be separated.

That tugged at so many heartstrings. It was forwarded by everyone. When I first saw it, I thought it was someone local and it even appeared on our freecycle. Then someone said the dogs were spoken for and I thought--okay.

A few months later--I got this e-mail again and I'm like...wait a minute.

Looked it up and it turned out it was a true e-mail, but now very outdated as the pups did have homes. But they were from San Francisco which is all the way across the country.

I did let the person know and provided the snopes link. So many people were touched by the story, but it was really time for the story to be put to rest. I was kind, didn't do a reply all. But she did pass it along to everyone else on her own that the dogs had already been adopted.

That was a no-harm, no foul forwarding. The only reason I caught it was b/c it had been circulated months prior.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Just posted about this recently.

My Dsis sent two emails one day...one was about what to do (and it was WRONG info) if you found yourself in a serious situation. I ended up doing a "reply all" and nicely pointing out the link to snopes. The 2nd email wasn't anything "dangerous"...just nonsense misinformation that won't hurt anyone and people will probably forget by the next day. That one I just sent the snopes link to Dsis. To some extent, I hope she is offended enough to STOP SENDING THEM TO ME.

Then today, my Dbrother sent me the 2nd one above...misinformation that won't hurt anyone and people will forget about soon. I did send him the snopes link and hopefully he'll stop sending me this stuff too.

And I also don't like that my email address shows up in some long list of God only knows who they are.

People are VERY sensitive about being directed to snopes. Well, they need to get over it.

 

[angwill]

maybe she was not as good of a friend as you thought?

I would get these at work and immediately tell them not to use the work e-mail for nonsense. (then can also get in trouble for that kind of stuff at work)

I had a manager insist that one may be true, until I showed him the snopes print out...and his manager told him to knock it off.

I couldn't agree more about her not being as good a friend as I thought. Sadly, enough we were friends since we were 5 years old. You never know when you will push the wrong button.

 

[MM27]

I usually just delete those emails, but I did respond once when my vice principal sent out an email that said something about getting a free laptop for forwarding the email to 10 people. I checked it out on Snopes and then forwarded that to everyone. I did it primarily because I didn't want to end up with a forwarded email from everyone on our staff trying to get their free laptop

Normally, I would just delete and be done with it.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I usually just delete those emails, but I did respond once when my vice principal sent out an email that said something about getting a free laptop for forwarding the email to 10 people. I checked it out on Snopes and then forwarded that to everyone. I did it primarily because I didn't want to end up with a forwarded email from everyone on our staff trying to get their free laptop

Normally, I would just delete and be done with it.

The Vice Principal sent it out? Without verifying it?? Not the brightest bulb. You know what they say "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Good for you for sending those people the snopes link.

 

[dispor]

I haven't gotten one yet though where the verification was just an added feature to keep the fib going.

Here's the link...

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/wheaton.asp

 

[quasar4legs]

'Delete' is my special friend.

 

[dispor]

Yep, just yesterday I sent out a "reply all" to correct a "garbage email" (as I referred to it!).

Sorry, I don't want some elderly lady NOT being helped in a store's parking lot because someone read in an email that the elderly are being used to lure victims in. Geesh!

Oh, and this one in particular bothered me because it had a line at the bottom that read "This has been verified with Snopes." The snopes site says that line was added in 2008 version of the email.

Yes, I'm quoting myself... LOL. I just wanted to add that I was especially annoyed because this person ONLY had my email because of the school list or boy scout list.