Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 10:13:58 -0400
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: Important note about forwarding junk (No Van,
but you ought to read)
Folks-
I am not a list admin. I don't even look like one. I hope the list admin.
(s) won't think I am trying to steal fire...I'm not. Just hoping to educate
a few folks.
A lot of folks on this list have been on the Internet for years. Some of us
haven't. That's okay.
As you know, the "culture" on the Internet, and on the Vanagon list has
certain social and technical norms, just like any other group of people
using tools. These norms can be hard to discern, but they are fairly
structured...e.g. the friendly norms in a auto repair garage encourage one
mechanic to call another mechanic a "dumb bast*rd" while throwing a wrench
to him; the norms in a hospital frown on an anesthesiologist calling the
cardiologist a "dumb bast*rd" while throwing a scalpel. The Internet has an
evolving set of norms, too. Let's talk about one: e-mail.
There is a lot of, what I will call "Junk" on the internet...in particular,
I am talking about worthless e-mail messages. These include virus warnings,
cookie recipes, cancer victims who want to "live forever in e-mail", and
alleged 'news stories'. On the surface, since we are used to believing the
printed word, these messages appear to be worthwhile.
They are not. They are junk, typically written by someone with acrimony or
deviant intention (like seeing how many people will forward the message
before it comes back to them...)
But since these messages look worthwhile, good-hearted people, (thinking
that there actually IS a third-grade class doing internet research),
forward the junk message to their entire address book; then 50% of the
receivers do the same, etc. etc. This has the virtually identical effect as
the "Melissa" virus of a few weeks ago...huge blocks of e-mail being
uselessly processed by servers, slowing down everyone.
A few words of advice...believe most of the news you get from credible,
established news sources that are *supported by advertising* (TV and
Newspaper advertisers won't pay to broadcast virus warnings, unless they
are absolutely true...).
On the Internet, any crackpot can write a "Newsy" sounding story, and send
it to 20 neophytes, and pretty soon everyone believes that a dying child
wants to live forever in -email...Don't believe or forward 99.9% of the
hyper-forwarded e-mail you receive. No one ever paid $250 to Neiman-Marcus
for a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
And most importantly don't forward any of that junk to the Vanagon list.
Most folks here hate the amount of spam and junk we have to filter and
delete already. Aren't my semi-relevant rantings junk enough?
Now throw me that wrench, Doc.
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
-----Original Message-----
From: JordanVw@AOL.COM [SMTP:JordanVw@AOL.COM]
Sent: Friday, April 30, 1999 2:01 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: [Fwd: FWD: Re: E-mail Project for school]
In a message dated 99-04-29 21:43:13 EDT, shaner@FAMENT.COM writes:
<< >>Date: Sunday, April 25, 1999 12:34 AM
>>
>>Dear E-mail Pal,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>We are in Mrs. Scott's 3rd grade at Corey Elementary
>>>>>>in Arlington, Texas.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>We are conducting an investigation.
>>>>>>We would like for you to forward this message on to
>>>>>>your entire address book. >>
mmmm.... Coyote's gonna flip about this... ;<P
chris
