Urban Legends.....Grrrr--A Small Rant

[disneymom3]

Why the heck can't people check out these nonsense stories before they forward them to 50 million people??? Got an email from my SIL titled something about Read this to save your life or whatever. Read through it, go to snopes, type in one small little line from the main point and the major hit that pops up is yes indeed the exact same story that has been circulating since 2003 with the location and a few of the minor details changed.

She forwarded it to about 30 people including myself and the person who forwarded it her had sent it to at least 50 people. Brother.

How about doing a little research into the truth of a story before panicking? It's not like it took more than two minutes if even that.

So, I always wonder how to respond to these fake things. This time I chose to email her only and say it was a fake. Once in the past I replied to everyone that person had sent it to because that one referred specifically to our geographical area. Another time someone else did that before I had a chance to even look into it.

So, what do you do? Ignore it? Respond? Include others who were sent the same erroneous info?

 

[scrump]

My MIL and SIL were forwarding maniacs, too, until I sent them the links to their disproved stories on hoaxbusters or snopes, etc. They either stopped forwarding, or they took me off their distribution lists.

 

[krcit]

I just went through this the other day with a chain letter someone sent my dd. She was telling me to make the copies and send it out so she could be in the Guiness Book of World Records. Took me about 2 minutes on Snopes to find out it is fake. As for the e-mails I usually just ignore them unless it's asking for donations or something, then I reply to check out Snopes.

 

[Tine731]

delete!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I usually just ignore it, but I think I my start sending the the info showing the story is false. I never thought of doing that before.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I used to check things out on snopes, but then I heard that they were run by the communist party.

 

[CarolG]

I usually send the Snopes info back to the sender and everyone that they sent it to. I don't get as many as I used to.

 

[PixieDust32]

I usually Delete all that junk, I hate it. I guess if anything important it will be on the news.
No ofense but some people need a hobby or something else to do.

 

[Shutterbug]

What? You mean not everything you read on the internet is true? *GASP*

 

[Dan Murphy]

I delete out of my Mailwasher almost every forwarded mail.

 

[pixiemomma]

I ignore it and sincerly hope for the sake of their gene pool that they don't believe the nonsense.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I send them snopes...there is only 1 person who is still doing it.

 

[disneynutt1225]

My friend sent me an email a few weeks ago about a "major virus" that was going around and attacking computers. Well, I looked it up and it turned out to be a hoax. I emailed my friend and she was surprised because supposedly it was initially passed around by the computer department at her job. Makes me wonder about the intelligence level of the computer department, quite frankly.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I either delete or send back to the original person with a link to Snopes & the excerpt debunking the story.

Now a gal at work sends me emails & asks me if they're legit before she sends them on.

The last one who sent one of those "forward this to everyone on your list and see what happens" I replied & asked her if she knew the original poster & how would all these emails be counted. She didn't respond, but she still sends me stuff.

 

[sajetto]

My DF's coworkers are notorious for sending chain letters and "fear for your life" stories. In most cases I just delete them.

 

[rhanditresmom]

I know, I get them from my SIL all the time. I usually send her the disproving information, but that doesn't stop her from sending them!

grrrrrrr.....

 

[Poohnatic]

I used to get a ton of these, but the prime offenders got so many snopes emails from me that I think they finally learned to check Snopes first!

My sister, who's only had a computer since January, heard me complaining so much that one of her first bookmarks was Snopes, lol.

Suzanne

 

[HaleyB]

You can send them this...

http://www.softlab.ece.ntua.gr/~sivann/pub/swf/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

 

[L107ANGEL]

You can send them this...

http://www.softlab.ece.ntua.gr/~sivann/pub/swf/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

That was the best!

 

[Stacerita]

Ugh, those forwards are the worst!!! I have one friend who sends me "chicken little sky is falling" emails all the time. I will let it slide the first time she forwards me one. But the next time she forwards the "exact" same email I will reply to her with a link to snopes debunking it. And I will remind her to check things out before she forwards them. Then if she sends it a third time, I will reply to "all" and remind her once again to check these things out just like I told her before and that it takes about the same amount of time to check them out as it does to forward it to all of us.

Shes still doing it though.