Bill Gates Is Sending Me A Check
I realize this is completely off topic, but please bare with me as I have to get it off my chest.
I have a pet peeve. I wonder if I am the only one with this pet peeve, as it is somewhat unique. I understand that what bothers me probably bothers others. However, to truly qualify as a “pet peeve” it has to be something that really drives you mad. Care to join the bandwagon? Then tell me, when someone emails you anything, and I mean anything, that is an obvious email forwarding hoax, what do you do? I hit “reply all” and commence with the linkage to the various websites that explain email hoaxes. I know, I am a jerk, but I just cannot help myself. I don’t want to embarrass anyone. I am certainly not trying to take an elitist stance; I simply cannot stand by and watch the IQ of my friends and family drop before my very eyes.
This is what prompted this post. Within the last week, two of my very best friends (if you read this, I am not sorry because you should have known better then to send me those emails) sent me two of the oldest email chain letter hoaxes in the world. The first one was about how “Touched By An Angel” was kicked off TV for being too spiritual and how they were now trying to remove the word “God” from TV altogether. “If you are a Christian or of any faith, save us from the madness that TV execs are trying to rain down on society!”. Seriously folks, do you really think a chain email would get God back on TV anyway?
The second email I received just tonight is an oldy but a goody. “Bill Gates is giving away his money! Just forward this email and you will get $240 for every email you send out. He and Intel and AOL have joined forces as Kings of the Internet to bring large checks to you and your family.” The first clue that this email is a hoax is the fact that they still include AOL as a big player in the payoff. At least update your hoax with Google, Yahoo or something more believable. An additional clue the email is a hoax is the somewhat obligatory “my cousin is a lawyer and she showed me her check stamped PAID IN FULL”. Who stamps checks that say “paid in full”? I can’t remember seeing one in awhile (or ever). I have seen bills with that stamp on them, but not checks.
I am sorry I sound like a know-it-all. I realize that there are a lot of great email chain letter hoaxes that probably save lives and more. In spite of those, a word to the wise about any email you get that asks you to forward it to anyone you know:
- Go to Google, type in the main subject of your email that you received and add “hoax” to it and see what comes up.
- If it is about saving something so sad (like someone’s life, or a basic religious right), then don’t waste your time on #1. It is a fake.
- Don’t forward it to anyone. In fact, join the club and hit “reply all” and type away as the elitist jerk who just has to speak up. It is kind of fun.
- If it involves making money by any means of mass communication, it is a fake.
Join me in stomping out email hoaxes, embarrass others and hit “reply all” when you see the chance!
***UPDATE*** Since I started typing this blog I received a mass email from a friend listing the companies that buy and sell oil that isn’t from the Middle East and to PLEASE forward it on so that we all could buy gas from the companies that didn’t support the Middle Eastern oil Monopoly. AHHHHHH!!!!!
