E-mail Frauds, Forwards and Inaccuracies

PreacherPen had a recent post on his blog regarding an e-mail he received about Barack O’Bama. There has been an abundance of incorrect information going about these days via e-mails, blogs, and the web. The political season we’re in here in the USA has seen much buzz all over the internet particularly pertaining to the candidates. Before you pass on any sort of email forward, please check it and verify if it is true. My two favorite forward fact checking sites are snopes.com and truthorfiction.com. PreacherPen also has a good one linked in his post.

We got our first internet hook-up around 2000 or 2001. When people sent me email forwards, as they inevitably did, they were part of this whole new world opening up for me. I was so amazed by it all, I did not think very deeply about the forwards. I just passed them on. Some were funny, inspirational, or sad. Some were little editorials supposedly by well known personalities and pundits like Andy Rooney, George Carlin, and Ben Stein. Some were prayer requests, and some were chain letters. Some were warnings, petitions and newsy. My wake up call came when I forwarded this one particularly horrible and tragic story to a friend. She had the wisdom to gently ask me not to send her and forwards or stories like that anymore. It was too painful and upsetting, she said. And you know what? She was right. Even now, I shudder at remembering such a sad, disturbing, and true story. For an instant I was embarrassed of myself and then had an epiphany: Why in the world was I sending such stuff? I began to do research and discovered snopes. I finally made a decision to not forward anymore. The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was another forward for a gut-wrenching prayer request with a photo of a little boy. According to the verification sites, no such person ever existed and it appeared to be a random story with a random picture, a complete fabrication. Then I discovered that the petitions are also a fluke and I said no more forwards! I don’t think this helped my popularity with some, for I don’t get many emails anymore from some of the people who used to forward me things. I would enjoy hearing from them about their life. Give me an update on you, as I’d love to hear about what is really going on with you. Brag about you kids, complain about your boss, tell me about your vacation, whatever! Email me anytime and tell me how you are! On the other hand, some people, like my honest friend were alienated or annoyed by my penchant to forward ghastly and gloomy stories or “witness” to them with the inspirational forwards. For that, and to those people, I do apologize.

Occasionally there are a few good forwards going around. I’m not adverse to the occasional one, so long as it’s true and/or really, really good.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”