1. Big companies don't
do business via chain letters and there are no computer
programs that track how many times an e-mail is forwarded,
let alone by whom. 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. No one
cares who adds their signature to a chain e-mail and nothing
good will happen if you are foolish enough to add yours to
the list.
2. Proctor and Gamble
is not part of a satanic cult or scheme, and its logo is not
satanic. Tommy Hilfiger did NOT make racist or
anti-Semitic remarks on Oprah.
3. MTV will not give
you backstage passes if you forward something to the most
people.
4. The Gap is not
giving away free clothes. You can relax; there is no
need to pass it on "just in case it's true."
5. 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, see http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm
And I quote: "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.
6. 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: http://www.bl.net/forwards/cookie.html
Then, if you make the recipe, decide the cookies are that
awesome, feel free to pass the recipe on.
7. 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?
8. There is no
"Good Times" virus. In fact, you should
never, ever, ever forward any email containing any
virus warning unless you first confirm that an actual
site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses.
Try: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html And
even then, don't forward it. We don't care.You CAN get a
virus from a warning e-mail, so DON"T forward the
warnings!!!
9. There is no gang
initiation plot to murder any motorist who flashes
headlights at another car driving at night without lights.
11. If you still
absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message from a
friend, at least have the decency to trim the eight miles of
headers showing everyone else who's received it over the
last 6 months (Think Cut and Paste)
It sure wouldn't hurt to get rid of all the
".." or ">>>" that
begin each line either. Besides, if it has gone around
that many times we've probably already seen it.
12. 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 no longer a "little boy" either.
13. 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. Also, the American
Cancer Society does not give 3 cents for each person you
forward e-mail to. They ask for you to donate money, money,
they don't give it, as if they could know how many e-mails
you sent out...sheesh.
14. If you are one of
those insufferable idiots who forwards anything that
"promises" something bad will happen if you
"don't,"-then something bad will happen to you if
I ever meet you in a dark alley.
15. Women really are
suffering in Afghanistan, but forwarding an e-mail won't
help their 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.
16. 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.
17. KFC really does
use real Chickens with feathers and beaks and feet. No, they
really do. Why did they change their name? In this
health conscious world, what was KFC's name? Kentucky
FRIED Chicken. FRIED is not healthy. So with the help
of a focus group, they changed the name to KFC. It's
short, doesn't offend dieters and it's easy to remember.
18. Another thing,
just because someone said in a message, four generations
back, that "we checked it out and it's legit,"
does not actually make it true.
PS: There is no bill pending
before Congress that will allow long distance companies (or
the post office) to charge you for using the Internet.
Bottom Line... composing e-mail or posting something
on the Net is as easy as writing on the walls of a public
rest room. Don't automatically believe it until it's proven
false...ASSUME it's false, unless there is proof that it's
true.
Now copy, paste, and send this to everyone you know or
the program I just put on your hard drive while you read
this E-mail will open up your CD-ROM and reach out and slap
you upside the head.
_______________________________
*Was the above written by Anthony Demas? His email to
me makes me think so. See below:
quoting Mr. Demas:
Dear
thatsRich:
It was 10 years ago that I wrote this--who knew someone
else would claim it as theirs? I found an article from
the San Fran Chronicles staff writer offered that
whoever took credit, he would pay money for the article
in 1998 if they would step forward. I emailed him
earlier today (and years later) noting that I didn't
want payment, and that I hope payment had never been
made, since I did it for reasons other than money or
fame.
Quite frankly, I didn't care about me ever getting any
credit for that piece. What I DID care about was that
someone else was taking it.
I first saw it on your site quite awhile back, got a
kick out of it being on a website, claimed credit, and
received it almost immediately.
I've tried to contact the author of that webpage you
noted and received an "invalid email address"
response.
>From your end, I don't expect you to believe me "just
because I wrote you". I will furnish proof of how I
wrote it somehow - I just have to figure out how to do
that. And when I do, it will be something more
substantial than making a statement on a free website.
Incidentally, the version on your website notes Amnesty
International and the Red Cross, which is what prompted
me to write it in the first place - so that people
wouldn't send money to scammers. That part was deleted
as the post went around, I would suppose, as people
picked their favorite "top 10", as noted on Ms. LeRoy's
site. The original one started with more and whittled
down, it didn't start out with 10 and grow. That's just
common sense. People will edit a forwarded email, not
write more.
Nevertheless, I appreciate your quick response to my
last letter, and as soon as I can furnish proof of
ownership, I'll let you know.
Thank you for your time, and I appreciate you taking the
trouble to listen to my side. Either way, I hope you
keep the piece up in the meantime.
Thanks again,
Anthony Demas
