I agree with the other posters that are railing against "forward zombies". There IS a resource for folks to verify information before forwarding...at the least, they should check out www.snopes.com .
I can tell you how this particular insanity got started...back in 2005 was when it first made the rounds as "a friend told me" emails. Then in 2008 someone wrote a letter to the editor in some obscure newspaper quoting it with respect to Victoria and "a local paper".
Suddenly, people are forwarding a photocopy of a newspaper clipping (strangely they omit the title, author, and newspaper name) showing in newsprint the "article" referenced here. Because "if it's in the newspaper, it must be true!".
Whenever I get sent emails like this, I check snopes, and then reply-all back to everyone the original sender copied, telling them the straight dope. It's the least I can do to combat this stuff...
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I agree with the other posters that are railing against "forward zombies". There IS a resource for folks to verify information before forwarding...at the least, they should check out www.snopes.com .
I can tell you how this particular insanity got started...back in 2005 was when it first made the rounds as "a friend told me" emails. Then in 2008 someone wrote a letter to the editor in some obscure newspaper quoting it with respect to Victoria and "a local paper".
Suddenly, people are forwarding a photocopy of a newspaper clipping (strangely they omit the title, author, and newspaper name) showing in newsprint the "article" referenced here. Because "if it's in the newspaper, it must be true!".
Whenever I get sent emails like this, I check snopes, and then reply-all back to everyone the original sender copied, telling them the straight dope. It's the least I can do to combat this stuff...