Like many, when I first became a internet user and got email many years ago, I thought a lot of the stuff I received as 'forwards' was authentic.
Found out quickly most are not....and so much of the information that people tend to believe is just plain fraudulent, erroneous and often can instill unnecessary fear in people [medical info e.g]
SO I use www.snopes.com to verify these BEFORE I send them on - seems like the responsible thing to do IMO :-)
2007-12-13 07:01:11 · 16 answers · asked by sage seeker 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Senior Citizens
P.S. - different from print media - say major newspapers - or TV news - the internet is held to no standards of truth and ANY one can draft whatever and send it out masked as "I know this is true ...I verified it"...or 'This came from Microsoft"...or " I checked with snopes.com"...don't believe it...Check it out yourself and be safe and not sorry.
2007-12-13 07:03:31 · update #1
Gin: I know - one of my closest friends doesn't see why should check it out and got angry with me for sending her the snopes link...told me that if it didn't have most true stuff in it, it wouldn't be on the internet...DUH?
[like the one she got about flesh eating bugs eating her brain out because she didn't wash and disinfect each piece of brand new clothing purchased...the email even had horrible pictures attached to it [turned out they were pics stolen from a cancer site]
2007-12-13 07:19:11 · update #2
Thanks, mistered! :-)
2007-12-13 07:19:34 · update #3
SLK - sorry you had such a bad time with people's reactions...WRAMC is NOT receiving mail and an address was traveling the internet and I know that to be true as I live here and it has been a thorn in their side this that email began...and you're right people do read only a portion. I read your piece and knew it to be valid :-)
2007-12-13 08:36:43 · update #4
Always.
Snopes and Urban Legends are bookmarked.
One of the benefits of pointing out these Internet forwards is:
I don't get as many anymore.
2007-12-13 08:43:39 · answer #1 · answered by deepndswamps 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Truthfully, yesterday i posted the address for the for mail to returning wounded soldiers could be sent and delivered, Red Cross took over the task, becasue it is enormous and Walter Reed hospital was pitching the mail. I know this to be absolutely TRUE. I attended a meeting with Red Cross, I hold a position there, I know this to be true. Even the address had Red Cross on it, a PO Box and a different city and state than DC, I STILL got insulted saying that it was WRONG, it is not! It is on the website. Some people say well that isn't what snopes says, well they too are wrong at times. It really ticked me off.....I have been in the AFES Armed Forces Emergency Service for 3 years. with Red Cross, we have been supporting the troops since the civil war folks!
The first thing that pops up regarding letter to soldiers is 2004! People just read the first entry not updates! Lots has changed, check further with snopes for updates!
"We support you during your Recovery"
c/o Red Cross
PO Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419
Partnership American Red Cross, Pitney Bowes
2007-12-13 07:55:15 · answer #2 · answered by slk29406 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I always use www.snopes.com even when it says "verified by snopes.com"..I have also had one person get extremely upset when I told her a "missing kid" was a hoax..and said she should check before sending things like this out..she said what was she supposed to do, waste her time checking everything? I told her "better she waste time checking than each of the 10 or so people she sent it to waste "their time checking before sending out false info..
2007-12-13 12:18:34 · answer #3 · answered by jst4pat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a scam. Throw the e-mail away, and do NOT click on any of the links. Yahoo never contacts users in this way, and the link is pointing to a place that doesn't belong to Yahoo.
2016-04-09 01:06:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use snopes.com all the time, especially when I get some odd email from my MIL. She just loves to pass on the valuable info about shopping, Wal-Mart, perfume sellers, and on and on.
2007-12-13 08:27:05 · answer #5 · answered by noonecanne 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
YES definitely, I made that mistake as well and learned that even if you "think" you received information from a credible source, they may not have and when you forward it you bear the responsibility that comes with spreading misinformation.
2007-12-13 07:08:14 · answer #6 · answered by eskie lover 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I do now. I would get those heart wrenching situation, emails and forward them. Fortunately my Son and Cousin would correct me after they would check them out and told me about Snoops and Urban Legends. I am glad they did. I check things out now.
2007-12-13 07:40:14 · answer #7 · answered by kayboff 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I do verify it before I send, simply because I don't want to have egg on my face for spreading something that is not true.
2007-12-13 08:43:21 · answer #8 · answered by Merl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thank you....I check out www,snopes.com what a fun site. full of good information I just e-mailed it to my children . I took your advice and checked it out before I sent it to my children(smile).....Thanks Again
abuela
2007-12-13 07:41:15 · answer #9 · answered by abuelamah 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i agree wholeheartedly -- daily i receive forwarded mail that is full of mis information and i have to waste valuable time finding a reference to prove the data wrong -- wish more folks had you for sight!!!!
2007-12-13 07:15:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋