This week there's one going around about President Obama (one? I'm sure there are dozens and dozens), and it doesn't even matter what the subject matter is. But it was sent to me and dozens of others. I guess it really lit a fire under a few, and at least four people hit REPLY ALL, and sent out some really eloquent statements regarding NOT FORWARDING EMAIL WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR SOURCES!
Well I wound up chatting with a few of them, and really enjoyed our exchanges. I did not know these folks, but they felt the same as I. They too have had it up to here with friends and family forwarding email filled with propaganda, exaggerations, and just plain b--s--t! As I relayed to one woman,
...I have one woman whom I met through a WWII vet. Great gal, volunteers and does a number of things to put many to shame. However, she can't get it through her pretty little skull... My buddy and I have written to her on a DOZEN occasions and called her out on misinformation. She sweetly writes back and apologizes, then turns around two weeks later and does it again. I've come THIS CLOSE to deleting her as a friend but...
The other day she sent a "pleasant" one, but nonetheless it held a dozen untrue statements within its frame. We wrote to her again and asked, why didn't you check this out? Well she replied, it was about Captain Kangaroo and Lee Marvin and how they fought in the war. It was so nice. ARRGGGHH!
As I say in my household, "Please step to the front of the slappin' line!"
Maybe we should all form a group. We can call it The Citizens Against Misinformation - CAM
Let's keep CAM rolling and be vigilant citizens. Ya it does take some effort, but maybe, just maybe, we can convert a few more to our side...
I'm this close to deleting people from my contact list who continually annoy me this this type of thing. Some may think this is a pretty hard-stance, but when you consider the size of my contact list (over 1200), you can see why I have no time, nor patience for people who continue to GOSSIP.
I have lost all patience with this, and so have many others. No more!
Here's what I wrote to another today...
Hello all:
Felt I should reply to ALL, even though most may not know who I am. However, I totally agree with Gene and Vivian, and in fact had a nice chat with Ellen yesterday too.
Gene's words were to the point and quite eloquent, so there's no need to repeat his feelings on the latest President Obama's email. What I will say though, and what I have told family, friends and colleagues over and over; please do not forward any email until you check your facts. Period. I don't care it it's good or bad news. Exaggerations are still exaggerations, and lies are still lies.
I run a popular WWII forum, and it's one of the first things I tell my readers; don't post anything here without checking your sources.
Regardless of who you are, regardless of your political, religious or any other persuasion, it only hurts you and the credibility of any of the groups you are associated with, if you pass along info without validating the source and the substance. In plain English; it's still gossip, whether it be told to you at a neighbor watering hole, or passed along in an email.
So let's be better citizens by doing our homework. It's a real crown of glory when someone can say about you, "If you heard it from so-and-so, then you know it's the truth." That's a real badge of honor!
