HuskyCaucasian Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I am sure we all get silly e-mails that are forwarded to us that have some picture / or story that looks just too good to be true, but of course the e-mail says it's an amazing real picture or real event. Those of us who are skeptical, go to Snopes.com and fact check. So, here is my quandary. Whenever we get these e-mails and they turn out to be false, should we fight back with fact in hopes of either getting people to stop forwarding crap and being more proactive in checking their own e-mail and/or just stop sending the crap to you. Or, do we just let it go and delete it. I say fight back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 i always delete the emails. The entire goal of these emails is to gather email addresses for spambots, if you send out some sort of correction, you are just sending out another forward that is going to gather a bunch more emails that will inevitably end up in the hands of another spammer who will turn it around and start sending you more junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSox05 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I say you should never get your news from mass emails. Same goes with all the rumors and what not. If there is something you think might be real just double check the facts. I say ignore them and don't pass them on. I did enjoy the story on snopes about the abused goat who turns the tables on its owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 09:17 AM) i always delete the emails. The entire goal of these emails is to gather email addresses for spambots, if you send out some sort of correction, you are just sending out another forward that is going to gather a bunch more emails that will inevitably end up in the hands of another spammer who will turn it around and start sending you more junkmail The e-mails I am referring to are e-mails forwarded to you by people you know. My grandma is famous for forwarding almost anything that she gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish71 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 09:17 AM) i always delete the emails. The entire goal of these emails is to gather email addresses for spambots, if you send out some sort of correction, you are just sending out another forward that is going to gather a bunch more emails that will inevitably end up in the hands of another spammer who will turn it around and start sending you more junkmail ^^^^^ This is the formula for being a good netcitzen with this stuff. Don't forward, or respond to mindless crap being sent. Delete the email, and let it die. If you feel so strongly that its an error, pick up the phone and call them and explain it to them. Don't participate in the chain. Do you know how many moronic relatives send me crap with " WORST VIRUS EVAH" somewhere in the email or some other mindless chain email. Hell my father spends probably most of his day flooding me with some sort of mindless crap that some old mope sent him. It just gets propagated and for the most part its worthless. If more people did what Kyyle did above, our email boxes would be a lot cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 (edited) QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 09:25 AM) The e-mails I am referring to are e-mails forwarded to you by people you know. My grandma is famous for forwarding almost anything that she gets. I know it is forwarded by the people you know. If you play the "6 degrees" game, then you know that your email address is getting bounced all over the world depending on who you send your forward to, and who THEY send the forward to. The spammers win this game, every time. Delete it. Be done with it Edited October 16, 2009 by KyYlE23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I never get these emails. And if my grandma sent them to me I would change emails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 10:01 AM) I never get these emails. And if my grandma sent them to me I would change emails. I'd keep the email and change grandmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:01 AM) I never get these emails. And if my grandma sent them to me I would change emails. wow, I never thought I would finally meet the one person in the world with an email account that doesnt get forwards/spam/junkmail sent to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 He must have the world's most advanced spam folder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:14 AM) He must have the world's most advanced spam folder. or he gets an email and changes email addresses immediately. Grandma was the first offender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I'm serious...I really don't get spam. I didn't get it in my student email nor in my gmail now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:20 AM) I'm serious...I really don't get spam. I didn't get it in my student email nor in my gmail now... I am dumbfounded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSox05 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I have a Gmail account too and I never get anything. Yahoo has that nice spam folder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pants Rowland Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:13 AM) wow, I never thought I would finally meet the one person in the world with an email account that doesnt get forwards/spam/junkmail sent to them. One thing I do find helpful to end these types of emails is to go to Snopes, fact check the message and paste the correct information into a reply just to whoever sent it to you. Include a very polite but pointed message letting them know you appreciate them thinking of you but emails like this are typically incorrect 99.9% of the time and only serve to cause all the problems already articulated in this thread. Let them know you are interested in hearing about them rather than some Kenyan boy born with a goat's tail and see if they want to get together and catch up. People really appreciate the tip and change their habits accordingly. Otherwise, if you hate the person, do the fact check, paste in a reply, but do a "reply all" and embarrass them publicly for spreading false information, being too stupid to realize it, and burdening their friends not only with wasted time and a clogged inbox, but potentially more spam via emailing lists. You will be spreading the message to more people, stopping that particular person from ever sending anything to anyone again, and, since you hate them anyway, you will never have to speak with them again. Both options have been very effective for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:20 AM) I'm serious...I really don't get spam. I didn't get it in my student email nor in my gmail now... do you have a "dummy" account set up for signing up for anything online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 get better relatives dudes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (Pants Rowland @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:27 AM) One thing I do find helpful to end these types of emails is to go to Snopes, fact check the message and paste the correct information into a reply just to whoever sent it to you. Include a very polite but pointed message letting them know you appreciate them thinking of you but emails like this are typically incorrect 99.9% of the time and only serve to cause all the problems already articulated in this thread. Let them know you are interested in hearing about them rather than some Kenyan boy born with a goat's tail and see if they want to get together and catch up. People really appreciate the tip and change their habits accordingly. Otherwise, if you hate the person, do the fact check, paste in a reply, but do a "reply all" and embarrass them publicly for spreading false information, being too stupid to realize it, and burdening their friends not only with wasted time and a clogged inbox, but potentially more spam via emailing lists. You will be spreading the message to more people, stopping that particular person from ever sending anything to anyone again, and, since you hate them anyway, you will never have to speak with them again. Both options have been very effective for me. I've done the latter to a couple of people that annoy the s*** out of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 05:28 PM) do you have a "dummy" account set up for signing up for anything online? Ah, you sign up for things, that's your first problems. Never participate in anything. Protip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:29 AM) get better relatives dudes nah, most of it started with spammers using an email address and "jumping" off of it. kyle@*****.com, kyyle@*****.com, kyyle1@*****.com, kyyle23@*****.com I could see it in the sent address line, they were sending out a bunch of crap and just happened to get me. The forwards dont help of course But very obviously the relatives are the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:30 AM) Ah, you sign up for things, that's your first problems. Never participate in anything. Protip. Kind of hard to get your package from amazon without signing up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 04:32 PM) nah, most of it started with spammers using an email address and "jumping" off of it. kyle@*****.com, kyyle@*****.com, kyyle1@*****.com, kyyle23@*****.com I could see it in the sent address line, they were sending out a bunch of crap and just happened to get me. The forwards dont help of course But very obviously the relatives are the problem This *****.com seems problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 11:33 AM) This *****.com seems problematic. that changes in the address too. hotmail, yahoo, gmail. Its all there. Truly, your ability to not get junkmail is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Danke schon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostfan Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 16, 2009 -> 12:29 PM) I've done the latter to a couple of people that annoy the s*** out of me. A couple of times, some paranoid and dumb friends of mine would forward "did you know the government can take the rights of blacks to vote away?" because the law expired in 2007 which appeared in various forms before Bush renewed the Voting Rights Act. I usually never reply to all but I had to explain the bare basics of government, couldn't let that one slide. All thinks that everyone should know after 8th grade (i.e. blacks' right to vote is in the 15th Amendment... duh... not in some obscure, sinister law). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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