NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
Rumors, Hoaxes, or Myths
by Cliff Goeke, Vice President, June
2001
cliffg@engineer.com
(click to email author)
Have you ever received a message claiming that if you didn't forward it to everyone on your ICQ list you would: 1) Be charged for using ICQ, 2) Have your ICQ account terminated or 3) Have your computer reduced to a smoldering heap of liquid silicon? Chances are if you've been using ICQ you either have or will receive such messages. What will happen if you brazenly disregard the dire warning and refuse to forward the message? The answer is: nothing. They are all hoaxes... false rumors intended to spread panic and make you appear gullible when you pass them to your friends. To put it another way, they are "information viruses" that infect common sense and lead otherwise sensible people to believe even the most incredible claims circulating in cyberspace.
These same messages are also sent on some of the other instant message systems like AOL instant message and Yahoo message. These aren't the only hoaxes on the internet.
Here is a small list of some of the other hoaxes that you may receive in an email:
Sick Kids
Story of Little Jessica
Reply from American Cancer Society
SUNY Morrisville
If U Delete This U Have No Heart
Timothy Flyte
Darren Bucklew
Warrenton Cancer Clinic
Dave Matthews and Tamara Martin
Slow Dance
Katie Relek
Anna Cohen and Baby Jada
Amy Bruce
Best Friend's Friend's Dying Wish
Tariq Hafeez and Fatima
Money and Free Gifts
How to Make $800,000
Disney
Opportunity of Lifetime
Win98 Free
Summer Money
Free Beer
Microsoft Email Tracking (Microsoft and AOL)
Free Gap Clothes
New Honda
Bath and Body Works
Funny Video
Aol and Intel
100 Dollars
Old Navy Gift Card
$100 for Faxing Completed Survey
Victoria's Secret Gift Certificate
If the email you received claiming to give you something for nothing or wanting you to send the message to all the people on your address list seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
You might check one of the following sites first:
http://urbanlegends.about.com http://members.tripod.com/Windrider/hoaxes.html
http://www.vmyths.com/More sites with information about internet myths and hoaxes can be found by using one of the search engines. I use http://www.dogpile.com
Have fun on the internet and please don't spread any rumors, hoaxes, or myths.
Click here to return to top
==================================================================