Over the past few days, I’ve received over one dozen e-mails from friends and family, asking me to add my name to a list of people fighting against the miscarriage of justice in the Jamie Bulger case of 1993.

The e-mail is entitled “Remember February 1993”

What blows me away is that within the e-mail it clearly states:

“The Love-Bug virus took less than 72 hours to reach the world, I hope this one does as well”

Do any of the people who sign their name to this know what the Love-Bug virus was, or what it did?

Please, do not send me e-mails to sign or forward on, or send me chain letters where something horrible will happen to me or my family if I choose not to reply.

And if you do, please do not be offended when I delete them without replying.

Yes, the Jamie Bulger case is horrid, yes I feel for his parents (I am a parent – how could I not?).

And this is the point:

The BEST way to spread a virus (interestingly, the method is similar to link baiting) is to make it so emotive, that people are compelled to respond.

Here’s a shocker – viruses, worms, bugs, and all sorts of ugly critters are sent to you more often than not by friends.  Not intentionally, just without consideration or knowledge.

If it is a chain letter, request to sign a petition, an offer of money for a service—like Billy Gates offering $10 for each referral you give him—it is more than likely something that will cause you grief for a long time.

Don’t do it.

1 comment:

  1. 3 May 2007 14:57

    Lid

    I couldn’t agree with you more about the emails, chain letters etc. I find that when I ask people not to send it to me they get upset. I can only assume that it is ok to delete them and nothing bad will happen. My apologies for sending you the last one, but do you really want to have bad sex FOREVER!! LMAO. PS. I really like the last few entries you have made. Very interesting.

    Kat

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