Open your inbox at any given time of the day and night, and there is a likely chance that you will find at least one forwarded email. There is an equally likely chance that you will trash it without giving it a second look.
In spite of the advent of Snopes.com and its resultant attempts to inform email users of the reality and authenticity behind most of the emails doing rounds in cyberspace, these mails are still forwarded. Apparently, there is a still a large number of people who believe that sending mails to all the contacts on their list will earn them a hefty amount in the US dollars from Bill Gates himself. And then, there are those who still seem to harbour the notion that AOL can ‘track’ the number of times an email was forwarded and donate the equivalent amount to a charitable cause.
You may have tried replying to various users to stop sending you chain mails, but do they listen? However, there is no reason why we should give up on trying to educate this lot. Break the Chain is one such attempt to correct people’s mistaken beliefs fostered by forwarded emails. This website discusses the content of forwarded emails and informs users how authentic (or otherwise) they really are.
The website is divided into sections based on the content of forwarded emails. The first section deals with armchair activism — emails which ask you to sign petitions or boycott a certain company for various reasons. Interestingly, the calls to boycott companies are sometimes based on pretty authentic reasons, but this website is quite sceptic about whether or not signing petitions actually serves the purpose. If you are interested, you can read through the different forms of petitions that people have been asked to sign over time.
Sick and Missing Kids is definitely worth a read. Given the number of emails which one receives about missing children and their photographs; or sick children and donations, this section should be an eye-opener. It is interesting to note how these chain letters have evolved over time with more and more gory details added to make them more heart wrenching —something which would ensure that you forward them in the first place, thinking they are true. Hardly any of these emails are authentic.
Virus Warnings are another favourite in this part of the world. Computer security being a primary concern to most people, it is, of course, nothing but consideration for others that makes people forward such virus warnings without haste. However, again, very few of these warnings are actually legitimate. Check out the virus section on this website and read up on the non-existent viruses and all that they can do. The website suggests running a good antivirus frequently to keep your PC free from these menaces.
Health Hazards deal with emails which caution you against using certain products in view of their dangerous consequences. Of course, some of these are authentic but others are simply ridiculous. Other sections include humour, politics and of course, ‘free’ stuff which, by-the-way, is not free at all.
The best way to make use of this website is to log onto it the next time you receive a forwarded email. If the contents of the mail are not authentic, hit ‘reply all’ and let everyone know the reality of the email they have just received. You would be doing a lot of people a big favour.
To get the scoop on what really is behind those forwarded emails you receive, log onto http://www.breakthechain.org
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