Category: Let's talk
Well we’ve all received the emails telling the tragic story of someone who overcame adversity with the help of just one friend and that, by forwarding this to 10 of your friends, and requesting they do the same … etc etc, you will show your friends how much you care, or the one telling you to forward to 7 people and in 7 days you will have 7 years of good luck, but if you fail to do so some terrible fate will befall you, or, the one I received this morning, apparently on behalf of an ambulance company, urging people to put a special entry into their mobile phones entitled ice, in case of an emergency, and urging to forward to “everyone in your address book”. Of course we all know these mails by certain names, chain mail, spam, junk, … whatever we like to call them, we’ve all had them, and some of them from people we perhaps even think of as friends. So the question is this. Do you forward any of this type mail to others? And if so does it ever occur to you that by doing so you are actually clogging up mail servers all over the world? Or are you like me and do you delete all of it without forwarding on, leaving the sender, who perhaps was meant to be one of the recipients, in the case of “forward to all your friends, including the sender of this message”, feeling that perhaps you do not value them as a good friend any more. Just interested to now …
I feel if the senderof an email is a true friend who cares about me that person would at least be able to go through the strenuous task of spending 5 minutes composing something him/herself and write a personal email. Clicking the forward button on a message and putting in my address, in my mind, is not really a sign of friendship or caring. I've told people that if they send me a single chain email with the "if you do not forward this bad things will happen" clause at the end I will delete the message and put the sender on ignore until he/she calls me up and appologizes, I won't even read that person's email but put it straight into my deleted items folder by rule. I feel that strongly about those emails, especially the ones that try to convince you that someone like Bil Gates will send you money if you forwrd it, I could right a 5-page summary of arguments why there is no truth to these emails but it certainly is not necessary <grin> so beware those of you who want to send me those messages, you will be ignored, even if you are one of my closest friends <grin>
cheers
-B
lol that's ruff man! I've seen just about all of the forwarded junk mails like that but there are a few funny spoof mails like that!
If I know the person, I will read the forwarded message out of curiosity, but the only times I forward them to others is if I really like the message myself and think others might (for instance if it is a good joke, had true and useful information, or is a valid warning about something). If I'm not sure whether or not it's true, though, I first go to www.truthorfiction.com, and see what it says about the specific forward on there. If it's something that's not true, if it's a warning or plea for anything, I won't send it and will just delete it. If it is a true warning or plea, and I think it's worth sending to others, I will, but that's rare anyway. The only ones I have forwrded were a petition for something (I forgot what at the moment), some jokes, and a questionnaire, but I don't forward things just to do it.
Leilani
Also, if it's one of those things saying that you will get free money or whatever, I delete those right away, as I only ask for certain newsletters/mails for certain sites and if someone's going to send me a mail like that about winning or being elegible for something for no reason, then it's likely not true. Thankfully, my friends probably check for things like that too, so I've never gotten anything from them like that, oh except one, but the poor guy was going thru hard times financially and emotionally and had joined this supposed online job, but (although I felt bad and didn't know at that time whether or not those businesses would help or were even legit, it just sounded too good to be true, so I didn't forward or respond to it. (By the way, in that email, it was something about that if he forwarded it, he would get money for each person and for each person who forwarded that one and so on. I hope that he now realized that those types of things aren't true, but it's been about a year, so I think he has. *smiles*)
Leilani
<grin> let me note though that I always like getting a good joke in my mailbox even if I've seen it before and if it's something funny or interesting and I am not expected to forward it it's an ok thing to send me, <grin> don't want to scare people off now.
cheers
-B
I only forward stuff for interest.
I like to forward articles, and jokes, but, not spam, defenitly not!
I agree, tinkerbell. I love those jokes but other stuff, I just don't like.
Sometimes I forward messages sometimes I don't. It doesn't bother me that I'm clogging up survers, it's not a crime and if I wasn't someone else would be.
No, I never forward chain mails. When I was very new to the internet, had e-mail only for some weeks, I got a virus warning telling me to delete a certain file from my system, because it presence indicated a virus... Well, I did some research and it turned out it wasn't a virus, but some important file windows needed to run. I think this was the only chainmail I ever forwarded... I even don't forward mails urging people to sign some amnesty international petition, because amnesty don't want those mails to be sent all over the place...
And it never occured to me that someone might think I'm not his friend because I don't forward a mail they send me...
If one of my friends send me a chain letter, they're not my friend. LOL! Most of my friends know how much I loathe these things. If I pass them along in any form, it's when I write up a parody of the things. The best ones to make fun of are the ones where you have a list of cute little sayings that are supposed to be positive. Plus, I somehow think the people who write these things know they will clog up mail servers, else they wouldn't instruct people to not only send it to others, but send copies back to the person who sent it. Please, the material is really not so classic that I want copies back when I just sent it, plus if I measure how true my friendships are by how many copies I get back of a chain letter, I'm bloody pathetic! OK, I know people are busy and people want to do great and important things, but sending me a chain letter saying how much you value me is no excuse and no substitute and makes me feel like a number.
I've always made it a rule never to forward, nor to reply to forwards. I will occasionally read them, but will unceremoniously delete people from my "accept" list if (1) all they do is send me forwards, (2) never send me email that's not of any interest to me, (3) expect me to send any item in my inbox to multiple people, and (4) consider first grade grammar to be formal. If you can't write well enough to reflect your educational level, you're not worth my time.
Forwards are indeed pointless. Jokes and or small articles are fine, but any other kinds of forwards (especially those with 700 recipients in the header) are trash, no buts about it.
I don't care for forwards of any kind, and am disappointed when I get one. In hat rooms, like for the people, accessible chat or whatever, when people use to ask me for my email address, I'd think they just wanted to talk, but when I gave it to them, in a few days, I'd get a forward of some kind. I've never been a joke person either. In short, if you email me, I want only conversational emails, if you're too lazy or too busy to type anything, don't even bother emailing me, period. It use to be that when people I've talked to wanted my email address, i'd give it to them,after all, if they turned out to be a jerk, I could just block them couldn't I? Now, if i've only talked to a person once, and he/she wants my email address, my reaction is, why? I use to feel I had to at least read forwards in order to be politee, but now I'm more outspoken about how I feel about them. I can't say this too much, if you don't have anything to say, don't email me.
wonderwoman
I do not forward any mails like this. I once did but now I think this is totally ridiculous ... it is a waste of time.
OK, so why hasn't anyone who actually likes to forward things responded? Can't speak for anyone else in this thread, but I certainly am not going to bite your head off, as if I could really do anything to you on this net anyhow. Why do you forward and what is the appeal of the stuff you send? I never understood how truly effective stuff like those lists of motivational sayings were. Thought they were the equivalent of telling a clinically depressed person to just get over it or to not worry and be happy. They're heavy on the cute and fluffy and light on actual content. I dunno, I guess I just am not into the whole fluffy-bunny approach to life.
For Wonderwoman and others who have the nerve to speak up and express themselves about forwards, I can't even count the times I was told to just delete forwards if I didn't like them, as if I kept them around so I could rant at them. Call me paranoid, but I always thought people were actually telling me to hold my tongue and not criticize them if I disliked them. Why? Are forwards beyond criticism because they are harmless and the sender meant well by sending their friendship poem to an e-mail list where we hadn't even heard a word from that person before? Oh, that's right, being negative is just yucky. Don't be yucky. LOL!
The only thing I will forward is a valid virus alert, one that I've checked out on a few different sites so that I know it isn't a hoax. I used to get tons of junk emails, and then one day I found this long email talking about how annoying and pointless forwarded emails are. I sent that out and seriously offended several people, but 99% of the junk mail stopped.
well, forwards don't offend me, I just don't want to be bothered. I'm tryingto get my email to the point where if I get any, it will only be conversational email, which I guess is totally impossible, but if I could always keep them down to where I don't get forwards, that would help. The reason I use to feel I had to read them to be polite was just in case the person I'd talked to asked me if I read their email. Now however, if someone I'd talked to asked me if I read their email, I'd just tell them straight out, that if an email doesn'thave my email address,and my email address only, I dump it. If it has other peoples' email addresses, or undisclosed recipient, forget it,
wonderwoman
Brooke, did the people explain to you why they were offended when you sent them thje anti-junk-mail article? I'm trying to understand why people think chain letters are beyong criticism and telling people to stop forwarding is some kind of horrible thing.
Basically, they told me I was being rude and inconsiderate (which I disagree with, considering I'd asked them each to stop forwarding me stuff at least two or three times). Some people just don't get it. I had an aunt actually get offended when I called her to inform her that she had forwarded me a virus.
I can't stand recieving forwards. Nothing but junk so it goes directly to the trash bin. I only forward jokes, virus alerts (if I get any) or news articles that might interest someone BUT NO SPAM. I'm not that mean.
I've gotten more and more of those chain letters lately, and they are getting annoying. I'd rather hear from the person that they care directly than get a stupid chain letter. If I think it is heart warming, I may do a forward or two, but not normally. I hate them, so I don't want to junk up someone elses box with them.
Have any of you guys done what Brooke did and asked people to either stop sending forwards, or better yet, have you said that you'd appreciate personal words from those people, even if it were a quick note, and not a forward?
On a slightly unrelated note, go to the joke board and you'll see one of my parodies if you have a sick, sarcastic and twisted sense of humor. If you're sensitive or don't think sarcasm is funny, you'd best not read the thing as you may become mightily upset, and I can't afford lawsuits. LOL!
Well there's an idea. I fortunately haven't gotten any forwards from anyone I've talked to, or was on an email list with. Brooke, I can certainly understand your feelings, and don't blame you. I guess like there drugaholics, alcoholics, workaholics, I guess there are some people who are just forward aholics. Well Labyrinth, it all depends on what you're being sarcastic about, I might find sarcasm about forwards funny, since I don't really like them. I promise I wouldn't sue you, my word of honor. For one thing, if anyone could sue anyone for something they don't like, too many people on this site would be suing me, and I can't afford to be sued by one person, let alone 2/3rds of a web site, haha.I don't ever read the joke board, but maybe I'll check this one out.
wonderwoman
WW. you just tapped into one of my own crackpot theories. Since it seems most people hate receiving forwards but many people love sending them, the act of sending forwards might be a kind of adiction or compulsive act. Like I said earlier, people justify it by saying they want to brighten people's days or maybe it'll help one person or whatnot. I honestly can find better ways to do such things, but unfortunately they involve being in the real face-to-face presence of others and not making token gestures from your computer keyboard. Nice try but no cigar. LOL!
Well, I think one reason people like to do it is because if they have it set up so it automatically sends its self out to everyone in their address book, it makes them feel like they're keeping in touch with out actually having to type anything. Conversational chit chats brighten my day a lot more than a forward ever could. Don't worry about the cigar, I don't smoke, hahaha.
wonderwoman
I agree. I do not ask my friends to write like some great author. A few quick lines are nice. Who needs the third-rate Hallmark sentiments when you can actually talk about your own life instead?
they are utter dribble, they don't deserve my time!
I hate those message with a passion. The most annoying and stupid byfar that I've gotten has to be the one about MSN shutting down. Something like there are 578 names left or something. So stupid. I mean if it were really the directors, they'd at least capitalize "MSN"!
I just delete all emails of the type. Not worth my time, I got better things to do, like come on here. Haha.
I don't like much forwarded emails and as some others said i like to recieve personal messages from people that ask how i am and are send to me directly.
I wouldn't mind reading some jokes but i wouldn't forward them. And also some of them are so anoying because of the so many addresses they have on the top. And after you mannage to skeep them each line has got a lot of > signs which makes reading with a screen reader anoying.
Here's something my roommate sent to me. Figured I'd add it
Dear All,
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all of you who have taken the
time and trouble to send me "forwards" over the past 12 months. Thank
you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed and Healthy.
Extra thanks to whoever sent me the email about rat crap in the glue on
envelopes - cause I now have to go get a wet towel every time I need to
seal an envelope.
Also, I scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. Because
of your genuine concern, I no longer drink Coca Cola because I know it
can remove toilet stains, which is not exactly an appealing
characteristic. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because
I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a
water buffalo on a hot day.
I no longer go to shopping centers because someone might drug me with a
perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer eat KFC because their "chickens" are actually horrible
mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
I no longer worry about my soul because at last count, I have 363,214
angels looking out for me.
Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I
forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five
minutes.
I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl on the
internet who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th
time).
I no longer have any money at all in fact - but that will change once I
receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for
participating in their special on-line email program.
Yes, I want to thank you all so much for looking out for me that I will
now return the favor! If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000
people in the next 7 minutes, a large pigeon with a wicked case of
diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM (GMT) this afternoon. I know
this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next
door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's
beautician.
Happy New Year
lol. This is funny. I am sure some of them will believe it hahaha.
lol crazy musician, I wish i had this to send to someone every time i got a forward. nothing like changing your email address to take you off some of thoseforwarding lists. that might offend a lot of the forwarders, but maybe thats one way to get them to stop doing it.
wonderwoman
I just got one of those stupid chain letters. I hate those. They all say that if you don't send this to 12 people by 12 oclock tonight you're going to have bad luck for the rest of your life and blaw blaw. I myself think that they are stupid and wouldn't even consider annoying someone else and wasting my time on them.
amen, and some of those things make it sound like you are a hard hearted jerk if you don't send them.
wonderwoman