I received an email today from a friend that set off the BS detector. Here’s a snippet:
Sorry, guys, it’s quick and for a kid’s school project! This is for a science fair project. If you could do this I would appreciate it! DON’T ASK, JUST PLAY! Copy and paste this letter into a new email (PLEASE do NOT hit "Forward"), then read the list of names. If your name is on the list, put a star * next to it. If not, then add your name …
No, I didn’t look to put a stupid little star next to my name. Instead, I went to Break the Chain, a Web site dedicated to stopping junk mail and misinformation. Sure enough, this chain e-mail has been around for a while in a few different varieties. It’s pure time-wasting junk.
My corrective action: reply (only!) to the misinformed friend who sent me the original email with a link to this blog entry. With any luck, I’ve eliminated one person from the list of e-mail chain propogators.