SpeedRacer 1 #1 October 8, 2011 OK, sometimes you get an email that gives some dire warning about a new type of crime or some political outrage or something, followed by a message to forward this email to as many people as possible. If you're like me, these sorts of emails should usually trigger your Bullshit Detector. Now the Internet has been in common usage for over fifteen years. After all that time, shouldn't people recognise this kind of crap and do a tiny bit of research before spreading it around? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Divinfool 0 #2 October 8, 2011 I seldom forward and if it seems possible, I go to snoops.com ...they have a pretty good handle on the BS thrown around on the internet.Fear is the thief of dreams..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #3 October 8, 2011 QuoteAfter all that time, shouldn't people recognise this kind of crap and do a tiny bit of research before spreading it around? Because when they read the bullshit, it meshes with the personal narrative lodged in their tiny, non-thinking, brains. "Finally," they say, "somebody gets it in a way I've never been able to express because I'm too fucking stupid to have original thoughts, but god damn it I'm going to make people believe I do. My god, they'll think I'm a genius when they see this in their inbox and they'll all thank me for having shared this with the world."quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #4 October 8, 2011 http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ewlnq/askreddit_how_do_you_get_your_parents_to_stop/ I've noticed it mostly from non-technical people over 60. When you debunk it they always say, "Well, I got this email from so&so, and he wouldn't forward junk!" The so&so is usually another non-technical person over 60. I don't know how to answer this, but I keep getting EBS from otherwise-smart older people who, even after 15 years of Internet usage, cannot recognise Electronic BullShit (EBS) when they see it. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #5 October 8, 2011 If you think the issue is limited to people over 60 I have some friends on Facebook I'd like you to meet.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #6 October 8, 2011 Yeah, you're right. I meant mostly, not all. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #7 October 8, 2011 I think the issue has less to do with age and a whole lot more to do with how opinionated the person is yet doesn't have the ability to express himself.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #8 October 8, 2011 Sometimes the EBS isn't about political outrage, sometimes it's about a Scary, Scary Criminal Trend that you need to get all frightened about. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #9 October 8, 2011 Quote Sometimes the EBS isn't about political outrage, sometimes it's about a Scary, Scary Criminal Trend that you need to get all frightened about. Or any one of a couple of dozen things people get passionate about although even "Scary Criminal Trend" is pretty political if you think about it from several aspects.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #10 October 8, 2011 I rarely get those emails, but when I do, that's what the delete button is for. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shah269 0 #11 October 8, 2011 DO THE RIGHT THING! Just email photos of + sized ladies wearing next to nothing! Or worse! Yoga pants that read JUCY on the ass. It's what a real dude would do! oh or LOL Cats! Not that i'm into LOL cats or anything! Or have ever laughed at those photos or ever forwarded those photos! Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #12 October 8, 2011 Quote I think the issue has less to do with age and a whole lot more to do with how opinionated the person is yet doesn't have the ability to express himself. BINGO! There is an older and well respected pioneer jumper that I've been friends with for long before the net. I must get 3 a day from him, 'must read' or 'pass this on'... Years ago I 'snooped' several back to him with links and hints on how to check out the dribble but to no avail. Love the guy so I'm not gonna press it, but truthfully I haven't actually READ one from him in a VERY long time! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OlympiaStoica 0 #13 October 8, 2011 Rhetorical question, right? Don't underestimate people's ability to be stupid ... (I hate those type of e-mails; they irritate me to no end!!!) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trafficdiver 8 #14 October 8, 2011 You mean like the mass email about the 2007 vigil having no blade in the cutter... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,406 #15 October 8, 2011 Quote There is an older and well respected pioneer jumper... "There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #16 October 8, 2011 Quote Quote There is an older and well respected pioneer jumper... Yeah....older than YOU! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver30960 0 #17 October 8, 2011 If the email I receive has only one "Fw:" in front of the title, I will at least take the time to read the title, depending on who sent it. ANYONE who sends me an email with "Fw:fw:..." or any longer such string in front of it can COUNT on that crap ending up in the recycle bin. It's worse on Facebook. I don't know why but my page opens to the News page instead of my Wall. My wife's opens to her Wall, we haven't figured out how to change that. I have numerous friends, now "hidden" due to this infraction. Elvisio "tell me about your life, not about your politics" Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #18 October 8, 2011 Quote http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ewlnq/askreddit_how_do_you_get_your_parents_to_stop/ I've noticed it mostly from non-technical people over 60. When you debunk it they always say, "Well, I got this email from so&so, and he wouldn't forward junk!" The so&so is usually another non-technical person over 60. I don't know how to answer this, but I keep getting EBS from otherwise-smart older people who, even after 15 years of Internet usage, cannot recognise Electronic BullShit (EBS) when they see it. I got tired of it and just give them one warning to not send forwarded crap to me or I will remove their email address from the allowed email. One certain DZO and gear dealer used to constantly send that kind of crap... and finally last year I replyed all to the mail... and told them they needed to have a classic Saturday night "lighting event" at their DZ and then proceeded to block all the email addresses of anyone who replied with their usual historically based vitriolMy email has been far less filled with their stupid crap since then Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #19 October 8, 2011 I usually go to www.snopes.com. I don't know what this "snoops.com" is, but I went there and it seems to be an unused URL. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,076 #20 October 8, 2011 Hi Speed, Well, earlier today I got one with a dire warning about some virus or other 'thing' that would destroy my computer. It even had the Snopes link saying it was true. Want me to send it to you? JerryBaumchen PS) My usual response to 'You must send this on' is the DELETE key; funny how it works everytime. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccurley 0 #21 October 8, 2011 They are prime candidates for the Nigerian "I have 20 Million I want you to take care of for me" e-mails. Watch my video Fat Women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWkEky8GoI Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #22 October 9, 2011 In the case of my mom, it confirmed what she already had suspicions of, AND it went a little further, meaning it was great gossip, and she just had to tell someone! She went to her grave convinced that Obama was not only an African terrorist with a socialist agenda, but that he, in fact, was the anti-Christ that the Christian Bible warned her of, and he was destined to bring about the end of America. It was true because she read it from an email that had been forwarded from 15 different people. She knew the last two in the chain.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #23 October 9, 2011 Quote I rarely get those emails, but when I do, that's what the delete button is for. Me either, I get maybe one or two a year, Dont farm out your email addy to people it will decrease the amount of crap you getYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #24 October 9, 2011 Another annoyance is those forwarded e-mails that are written in gigantic 50-point type, so that only about four words at a time will fit in the e-mail window, and you have to scroll for a freakin' eternity to read the whole thing. Do they think that the larger the type the more important it becomes? If they don't get to the point like that in the first sentence, it's gone... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #25 October 9, 2011 You can judge a person's internet ignorance by how many "forwarded message" headers there are at the top of those messages. It's like they don't know how to trim the chaff off the top. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
