This is information from a man who cleans junk off computers. He's got some advice on e-mails, that I thought was really good.
Any time you see an email that says:
"forward this to to '10' (or however many) of your friends"
"sign this petition"
"You'll get good luck - or bad luck"
"You'll see something funny on your screen"
"send this if you're not ashamed of God-Jesus"
"add your name to the list and forward"
----it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of the people you forward it to. The host is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or to sell to other spammers. They try to play on our conscience, but ignore them and don't participate!
Do yourself a favor and don't add your name to these lists, regardless of how inviting they sound or how guilty they make you feel. You are not supporting any great cause and all you are doing is getting more junk emails and possibly a virus! Plus you are helping the spammers get rich. Lets not make it easy for them!
"forward this to to '10' (or however many) of your friends"
"sign this petition"
"You'll get good luck - or bad luck"
"You'll see something funny on your screen"
"send this if you're not ashamed of God-Jesus"
"add your name to the list and forward"
----it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of the people you forward it to. The host is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or to sell to other spammers. They try to play on our conscience, but ignore them and don't participate!
Do yourself a favor and don't add your name to these lists, regardless of how inviting they sound or how guilty they make you feel. You are not supporting any great cause and all you are doing is getting more junk emails and possibly a virus! Plus you are helping the spammers get rich. Lets not make it easy for them!
16 comments:
This is great advice. I don't usually respond to such emails, but now I can ignore them guilt-free!
I always think that it's based on a superstition type belief and that it's opposite what I believe as a Christian, so I ignore them and don't forward.
If there happens to be something interesting I want to pass on, I never forward, I cut out the portion I want to share and paste it into one of my e-mails. I don't participate in any of those forwards etc. Great advice and thanks for the reminder!
I never forward either, just because I always thought it was kinda dumb...
Thanks for the info - I've been "suckered" into some of those type things before, then it means a call to the Geek Squad to get me back online.
Thanks Mari! You should post this on Facebook too!
I hate such emails and will never open them, no matter who sends them. I have one dear friend who loves these things and sends them all the time -- from work, no less (shouldn't she be working???) -- and I finally had to just tell her to please, please remove my name from her mass junk-emailing list. She was nice about it but still occasionally will send me one that she says I just "have to see" ... LOLOL I don't get what is so fascinating about those things. They're just time-wasters and as you point out Mari, designed to put you on some hit-list or another. Banish junk emails!!!
AMEN!! Thank you!!!!
I always feel guilty if I don't forward but no more!! Thanks for the tip.
Hugs
Great advice. I delete all email that requires forwarding or has an attachment. It's not worth the risk of getting a virus.
Great advice, and I already do this. I hate emails that threaten you by saying if you forward them, something bad will happen. The ones I hate the worst are ones about God that tell you will get something from Him if you do it, or that you will miss a blessing or gift if you don't do it. God blesses me and/or gifts me as He sees fit and an email has nothing to do with it! Ugh.
That should have been "...by saying if you DON'T forward them..."
Great advice Mari. I get way too many of these junk emails. Thanks!
i really hate those chain letters. sometimes I feel bad because most times I know the person whose sent it.
thanks for this reminder again.
I get a ton of those "send this to 10 other people" e-mails. Usually from good friends who are trying to be kind, and show their care. BUT I've never forwarded those on to anyone. I just made the decision a while back to not get caught up in that -- it can be such a time consuming activity. Now it looks like there are other benefits too...I'm saving my friends from even MORE spam.
Hmmmm, wonder if I should send this post to those friends who keep sending them...
Haven't and won't. I sure wish more people followed your advice.
Same is definitely (or maybe even more) true for facebook!
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