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Tuesday, August 1, 2006
The people who murdered e-mail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
E-mail used to be a genuine delight for me. Its been a fine way to keep in touch with friends all over the world. And, for better or worse, it’s also a way to time shift … unlike a telephone call or a visit, I can talk on my own schedule.
All that’s still true but my in-box - even with a spam filter - is a sad collection of spam, hoaxes and e-mails from well-meaning acquaintances telling me about some get-rich scheme or sending dire warnings of a new virus that’s powerful enough to eat a full-sized truck in one sitting. Some of these e-mails come from highly-educated people who, in the real world, are unlikely to be fooled by a tall tale. But when that story is transmitted by e-mail all their common sense goes out the window.
That’s why I tell my friends to check out these ‘too good to be true’ stories at www.snopes.com. In most cases, you can debunk a hoax e-mail in just a minute or two. When it comes to warnings about viruses, this page at Symantec can be a big help in separating the real from the insane.
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