To-forward or not-to-forward

Better Business Bureau scammed

2011-12-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

Staff Reports
Posted: 12/09/2011 12:44:34 AM PST

SACRAMENTO — The Better Business Bureau of Northeast California, an organization accustomed to warning consumers about scams and shady business practices, finds itself a pawn in a suspected fraud.

The BBB said consumers and businesses throughout Northern California are receiving emails pretending to have come from the bureau, but are actually random attempts to gain financial information, known as "phishing."

The bureau said the emails appear to be complaint forms, and have a variety of subject lines including operations@-bbb.org, support@bbb.org and riskmanager@bbb.org. continue reading

Forwarding Chain Emails Prime Target For Hackers

2011-12-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

Greensboro - Email has become a part of daily life for most, but what many people don't know is how easily your email can be taken over by hackers. continue reading or Watch this video:

Beware of e-mail scam offering to rescue friends - To all with love and malice towards none

2011-04-24T17:13:00.002-04:00

Police warn of another email scam
"Poorly worded" email plea prompts scam worries‎, April 23, 2011, dailypress.com ["Tornado Damages Moton Campus — We Need Your Help!"]
Police Newsletter: Crime: 13 April 2011, Thames Valley Police, UK
Beware of e-mail scam offering to rescue friends - Topix
Something phishy is going on
5 Natural Disaster Scams To Watch For
Beware of new phishing email Dodge County News, 16 Apr 2011

On the same shelf:

Boycott Gasoline: not buying gas on March 14, a chain letter circulating since 1999

2011-03-12T22:10:00.001-05:00

Boycott Gasoline? Why Gas Urban Legends Won't Affect Prices, Aaron Crowe, http://www.walletpop.com
The email chain letter or Facebook invitations wading their way through the Internet this week are enticing to anyone who has had to fill up their car with gas lately: "Join a national protest by not buying gas on March 14!" Or, "Send a message to Big Oil by boycotting gasoline for a day."

But like every urban legend, it sounds good until you look at the details and realize it's the same misinformation that has been passed around for years. There are plenty of legitimate ways to save on gas, but these myths won't do it.

The gas boycott that has been called for in some form of a chain letter since 1999 is based on a flawed premise. The "gas out" doesn't ask people to use less gas, only to change their date of purchase and buy it a day earlier or later than they normally would, according to a Snopes.com analysis of the rumor. continue reading: http://www.walletpop.com

On the Same Shelf:

FBI Warns of Three Online Scams: Sex, Taxes and a Desktop Hijack [source]

Coca Cola’s Secret Recipe ‘Exposed’, Claims Website - Is it true or false?

2011-02-19T16:04:00.001-05:00

Link Newspaper (leading Indo-Canadian Newspaper), February 18th, 2011

LONDON – The ingredients of Coca Cola have always been a mystery. Now, a website claims to have uncovered the soft drink’s top secret recipe which is said to be guarded 24 hours a day in a vault in Atlanta, Georgia.

‘Thisamericanlife.org’ claims to have discovered a list in a photograph in a newspaper article giving the secret ingredients and exact quantities to make the drink which was founded by John Pemberton, a medicinal pharmacist in 1886. continue reading

However, Toronto Life's update, "Recipe theft and cancer scares: rounding up Coca-Cola’s bad week," February 19, 2011 reports:

"Coca-Cola reps fired back this week, denying the accuracy of the leaked recipe. Spokeswoman Kerry Tressler told Reuters:

“Many third parties, including ‘This American Life,’ have tried to crack our secret formula. Try as they might, they’ve been unsuccessful because there is only one ‘Real Thing.’" continue reading Toronto Life

See also on the same shelf:

Team CoCo... Cola @ This american life.org’

Coke has no alcohol in it, says manufacturer, The Economic Times

Coca-Cola's secret recipe on tap, "Coca-Cola's secret recipe reportedly revealed by radio show" Vancouver Sun February 15, 2011
[See the (alleged) Coca-Cola recipe, ingredient by ingredient, here]

Coca Cola Recipe Possibly Uncovered, ChatterShmatter.com

What's in your soft drink? Safety of 'caramel colour' questioned, ‎ Globe and Mail

Coca-Cola Series, The Form of Money

Empty promises says Snopes: For an empty stomach

2010-12-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the research @ http://www.snopes.com/ 'Rumor has it.' It is all about the forwarded email:

'YOU NEED NOT DIE FROM CANCER - CURE IS HERE,
WHY DIE FROM CANCER?
Cancer Treatment: ALWAYS EAT FRESH FRUIT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.'

Extract from Snopes.com :
Claim: Fruit must be eaten on an empty stomach in order for the body to absorb it properly.

SNOPE's find this as:

FALSE

Origins: The item quoted above, typically titled "The Correct Way of Eating Fruits," has been circulating on the Internet since August 2001. It was written in 1998 by Devagi Sanmugam, a chef and culinary writer who lives in Singapore.

The Dr. Herbert Shelton mentioned in the e-mail was a well-known health educator and author who died in 1985. Dr. Shelton held a doctorate degree in naturopathy rather than medicine and was arrested numerous times for practicing medicine without a license.

As to the substance of the advice being proffered, the nutritional value of a piece of fruit is the same whether it's eaten on an empty stomach or after a meal. Beliefs regarding ingesting fruit unaccompanied by any other foodstuff and/or only on an empty stomach, appear to have come from various weight loss gurus, the earliest of which might be Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.

In the 1980s, part of the regimen advocated by the Diamonds, authors of Fit for Life, dictated that nothing but fruit and fruit juices be consumed before noon. (They believed the body has three natural cycles regarding its use of food: noon to 8 p.m. for eating and digestion, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. for absorption and use, and 4 a.m. to noon for elimination of body wastes and food debris. Fruit in the morning — and nothing but fruit at that time — is therefore key Continue reading

My ad about a 2002 Chevy in Craiglist: Fake Spam Email

2010-06-09T23:12:00.000-04:00

I am not alone to receive this fake blessing, you may also be one of those who are spammed--I neither have a van nor advertised for it in the New York's Craigslist. The message looks 100% genuine, and official:

Confirmation for Posting ID# 1779115062
Your ad, titled '2002 Chevrolet 3500 Express Van' has been posted as follows:
http://newyork.craigslist.com/ctd/1779115061.html (cars & trucks - by dealer)

Posts will appear in the list of postings and in search results in about 15 minutes.
If you have trouble finding your ad, please check our help page: [?]
Please log in into your account if you need to edit or delete your posting:
https://acount.craigslist.org/login

If you did not post this ad please change your account password asap:
https://acount.craigslist.org/login/chgpwd
For your protection please check our list of common scams.
Thanks for using craigslist!

A consumer protectionist, John Stark, reports the same fake email, read his experience (interestingly John and me received this email today, and we hereby advise you not to click on this fake email message):

Fun with craigslist
June 9th, 2010
Here’s a bogus e-mail that hit my inbox seconds ago. It asks me to verify the ad I supposedly posted for a 2002 Chevy van. Said ad, of course, does not exist. The game appears to be: Let’s get this guy’s craigslist password for fun and profit. But since I don’t have a craigslist account, the scheme didn’t work.

Read more: http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/consumer/#ixzz0qPoGbEoT

A bit of humour to end the day in this timezone... Yet another forward, but KM related

2010-04-20T13:06:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Lucie and Allison for forwarding it; sent on the KM4dev Dgroups: .

Top 10 Reasons You Know you're working at an aid organization headquarters if...

1.You just had a pre-meeting to discuss your strategy planning session for the new initiative to reduce poverty by increasing access to safe water/credit/food/health care through fair and equitable distribution to those with the right to said good or service through engagement with duty bearers in the government and other stakeholders and civil society organizations.

2.You just repeatedly slammed your head into your keyboard after spending the last 20 minutes trying to get your Skype conference call between Port au Prince, West Bank/Gaza, Delhi, Nairobi and New York to work only to fail miserably...

6.You realize that you just used cheers, karibu, Insh'Allah or namaste in casual conversation despite the fact that you are neither English, Kenyan, Arab or Indian.
7.You realize that your favorite and most frequented cafe is located in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.
8.You just finished depressing a volunteer caller from the Red Cross for the 12th time this year who reluctantly agreed that you are not eligiable to donate blood because you just got back from .
9.You're pumped with antibiotics more frequently than a cow in a concentrated feeding operation.
10.You tell yourself it's not failure if you turn it into a lessons-learned document.

Continue reading all the Top 10 Reasons You Know You're Working at an Aid Organization Headquarters, by Brooks Keene

How long to paint a feather - Worth forwarding, but with proper source and acknowledgement

2010-02-21T23:32:00.003-05:00

Note, This email, with a title, 'I Wonder How Long It Takes To Paint a Feather,' came to me:

Information courtesy: Iftekhar Syed Ali, Laith Khalifa, Adil Al-Kufaishi thro' fun_and_fun_only

Information corroborated @ Collection of forward mails,fun mails,time pass mails,good morning mails... and @ Whats In Your Email?

Info originating from (primary source; not attributed by those of forward): Feather lady Studio: wildlife art by Northwest artist Julie Thompson

Why INDIA is in trouble? [Nice Joke, Yet another forwarded email]

2010-02-06T00:08:00.001-05:00

PS. Source, our digg says, the idea of this joke comes from: forwards4all.com; The pictures' courtesy: zadtee's blog

Population: 100 crore

-9 crore retired
-30 crore in state Government
-17 crore in central Government (both categories don't work)
-1 crore IT professionals (don't work for India)
-25 crore in school
-1 crore are under 5 years
-15 crore unemployed
-1.2 crore u can find anytime in hospitals
Statistics say you find 79,99,998 people anytime in jail.
The balance two are you & me.

BOTTOMLINE: You are busy reading my E-mails and sending forwards! I am busy reading your forwards, and forwarding e-mails to all my friends!!! How can I handle India alone?

Forwarding, Forwarded Emails - Quotable quotes about waste of bandwidth, mindwidth and timewidth

2010-02-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

“A new chain letter has entered the charts claiming that the MSN will be closed down unless the bogus email is forwarded to family, friends and colleagues. As always, these chain letters are best deleted as they waste bandwidth.” Carole Theriault @ ThinkExist.com

“We advise all companies to consider circulating a policy on virus hoaxes to curb the spread of these annoying emails that can cause mail overload and results in down time and loss of profits. Although they do not cause serious network damage, certain hoaxes, such as the HIV Needle email, are cruel tricks that can be very upsetting for those users receiving them.” Carole Theriault @ ThinkExist.com

“Chain letters like this are too easily forwarded to friends, family and colleagues without people using their common sense. Stories like this become urban legends, constantly being repeated without anyone bothering to check the facts. Hoaxes and chain letters like this are not harmless - they waste time and bandwidth, and can be a genuine headache for support departments. Users need to be more skeptical, and ask themselves whether everything they are told by email can be believed.” Graham Cluley @ ThinkExist.com

E-mail Adds Stress to Daily Life - Strange but true!!!

2010-02-04T15:20:00.001-05:00

Reporter: Allen Mask, M.D. Posted: Aug 27, 2007 @ WRAL.com

Lab and researcher administrator Amarillyis Carreira says

the hundreds of e-mails she receives daily cause her to suffer from "inbox stress."

"The conveniences of e-mail - speed and mobility - come along with pressure to also be quick in responding.

Researchers from Scotland found that for some people, the words "You've got mail" increasingly also mean "You've got stress."
Lab and researcher administrator Amarillyis Carreira said her inbox is the most cluttered place on her computer and that simply replying to her e-mails can ruin her day.

"I get about 200, 250 emails a day. It is very stressful," Carreira said.

continue reading: E-mail Adds Stress to Daily Life

forwarding and forwarded email - media monitoring

2010-01-30T13:22:00.002-05:00

More @ Google News

On the same shelf:

Interfaith Alliance head protests Bible verses on military gun sights

Not all forwarded e-mails are accurate, however.

2010-01-18T20:56:00.000-05:00

Extract from Friday Flyer, January 10, 2010

These are the signs to watch for with a stroke
     "The Internet can be a wealth of information and well-meaning friends will often forward e-mails that look official or seem to make sense, such as how to look for signs of a stroke. Not all e-mails are accurate, however.
     Snopes.com is a resource that can provide information on the accuracy of e-mails and whether they are hoaxes or urban legends. In response to e-mails about indicators of stroke, writers at snopes.com suggest following the guidelines recommended by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which notes these major signs of stroke: ...
     Continue reading

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins: Another wishful forwarded fiction

2010-01-13T17:38:00.002-05:00

The text of the forwarded email states:
"AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY" (aka, Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins):

Every person has cancer cells in the body
Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime
When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed...
When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. continued....

Research says this is a FALSE:

hoax-slayer.com : Cancer Info From Johns Hopkins Hoax Email -- Status: False
snopes.com: Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins Hospital -- Claim: False

rebuttal

e-mail

Bottomline: What does the Johns Hopkins say about this Cancer Update? The answer is here:

This e-mail is NOT from Johns Hopkins [NEWS] August 11, 2008
Email Hoax: "Cancer Update From John Hopkins" Updated April 2009
A hoax e-mail on cancer has been circulating on the internet. Because this e-mail uses the Johns Hopkins name, we thought we would post a What's New to inform the users of our web page. The e-mail in question is pasted at the end of this Whats New. To learn more visit: www.jhsph.edu/dioxins and The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center News.

Federal Trade Commission says: Cure-ious? Ask. See also: Signs of a scam

Sachin Tendulkar's shell house -- Just Not True

2010-01-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

I just received a forwarded, forward, with a catchy header: Fragile Luxury.

Googled, and found:

Sachin Tendulkar's New House - Not True - its SPAM says www.bharatwaves.com.

Hoax Confirmation: Tendulkar's 'shell house' designs a net hoax: India Today.

Plus, shell House Sachin Hoax here.

Noel, a Blogger (Cricket God - Sachin Tendulkar, God Of Cricket) states: "A new weird shell house designed for God Of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar by world famous Mexican architect Javier Senosiain."

See more here, on this shell house: Organic Architecture of Javier Senosiain.

Whereas, Sachin's fans keep circulating this nonstop;

http://sachinandcritics.com/, as well as, Sachin Tendulkar's Official website - www.tendulkaropus.com don't talk about it.

And, this is interesting: "Sachin denies having an account on Twitter: Don't follow his fake twitter account."

Think Before You Click: You have received A Card from a Family Member

2009-12-28T17:30:00.001-05:00

There is a long list of emails that come to you and sound genuine, but most of the time are spam, malware, virus, etc., sent to you by robots...

To save us from the above, there are alerts, including:

'You have received A Hallmark E-Card' Urban Legends' say: 'You've Received a Postcard' Virus
See More About:

computer virus warnings
e-cards
trojan warnings

E-Card Fraud Alert, says: Hallmark Site

snopes.com: 'Hallmark Postcard from a Family Member' virus -- MIXTURE OF REAL VIRUS WARNING AND HOAX

Solutions / Discussions:

Greetings! Someone Has Sent You an E-Card Virus, Todd R. Weiss, Computerworld pcworld.com

ECard Virus Removal, By Colin Richards @ ezinearticles.com

Security Alert: Virus Emails - You've received A Hallmark E-Card ... @ Carnegie Mellon University

Galewher.com Facebook, Twitter Virus: Koobface Strikes Again

2009-12-27T12:52:00.000-05:00

Received an invite to make quick bucks @ Facebook. Facebook security offers help. click here and here Facebook Blog: New Tools to Secure a Compromised Account.

Here is the news: Galewher.com Facebook, Twitter Virus: Koobface Strikes Again

"Apparently, Galewher.com is an extension of the Koobface worm, which has been running amuck for some time now."

More news here: GALEWHER.C0M (GaleWher.com) Facebook Virus

My Instant Messenger and Email Sends Spam Messages to My Buddies...

2009-12-22T00:26:00.006-05:00

This is common, nothing new or just found. Although some see it now (see the first item below), many have experienced it for almost years. And, believing that 'This can be checked by an antivirus software or firewall' is partially correct. You need to be more cautious, careful and most important: ASK your Buddies NOT TO CLICK or try such links (see the links, below):

Thursday, December 17, 2009: Now computer viruses not only spoil your hard disk but also your dignity
My Yahoo IM sends Spam Messages
How to stop your MSN sending out SPAM messages, its not virus [read here: 'Fact about Spam IM from MSN Friends with Malicious Links']
SPAM Messages On MSN
How to Stop MSN Messenger spam Message
Windows Live (MSN) Messenger Friends’ Messege Spam Phishing URL (Clean ‘Virus’)
Characterizing Botnets from Email Spam
Storm botnet recruiting again

See also: Something related in terms of the spam (but not with msn / yahoo messenger), it is with emails (msn, yahoo, etc.) :

Spam being sent from my personal account = Someone has hacked my e-mail account.

JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST MSN VIRUSES! Is someone spamming your MSN contacts in your name? + How to avoid becoming a victim?

This site lures you to "verify who blocked you on their msn contact list", stealing your MSN/Hotmail password and therefore your MSN identity @ MSN experts pls, is this a scam site

10 Instant Messaging Safety Tips @ Microsoft Security:
1. Never open pictures, download files, or click links in messages from people you don't know.
2. Be careful when you create a screen name.
3. Create a barrier against unwanted instant messaging.
4. Never provide sensitive personal information, such as your credit card numbers or passwords, in an IM conversation.
5. Block unwanted messages.
6. If you decide to meet a stranger that you know only from IM communication, take appropriate safety precautions.
7. Don't send personal or private instant messages at work.
8. If you use a public computer, do not log on automatically.
9. When you're not available to receive messages, be careful how you display this information to other users.
10. Monitor and limit your children's use of IM.

A Pathfinder To Detect Spam and Forwarded Email Scams

2009-12-20T22:54:00.005-05:00

I have compiled a list of sites that help in detecting spam, scam, fake and fraud sites. Are there any more, or I am missing any important one, here:

Has any one evaluated these sites?

Golden rule in forwarding Forwarded e-mail or Chain e-mails

2009-12-14T21:48:00.004-05:00

Follow the Golden Rule!! Treat others as you would like to be treated - with respect! ... Think it over before forwarding Forwarded e-mail or Chain e-mails.
More here: "Nightscribe's Advice on forwarding e-mail is condensed to a few simple rules" @ Electronic Chain Letters and Mindless Forwards are SPAM!!

In an article, "5 Rules for Forwarding Email" by Judith posted @, E-mail Etiquette Articles and How Tos, you will find the following five rules. Read these also as Golden Rules when you forward emails:

1. Don’t forward anything without editing out all the forwarding >>>> , other email addresses, headers and commentary from all the other forwarders.
2. If you cannot take the time to write a personal comment at the top of your forwarded email to the person you are sending to – then you shouldn’t forward it at all
3. Think carefully about if what you are forwarding will be of value (accurate information — check for hoaxes @ Snopes.com), appreciated (something the recipient needs) or humorous (do they have the same sense of humor as you do) to the person on the other side.
4. It should go without saying (But I have to say it because folks do so anyway.) that forwarding of chain letter; regardless how noble the topic may seem, virus warnings or anything that says “forward to everyone you know” simply shouldn’t be forwarded because in most cases it is plain old B.S. (again check before forwarding @ Snopes.com).
5. If you must forward to more than one person, put your email address in the TO: field and all the others you are sending to in the field to protect their email address from being published to those they do not know.

Victim sends a forward - Posted By MEAW

2009-12-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

Note: This is a funny collection, author: unknown (anonymous)

Forwarded Emails – Victim sends a forward, by meaw

A Hilarious Mail from a frustrated victim of chain mails

I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and continuing it in 2009 also…….

Because of your kindness:

* I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out that it’s good for removing toilet stains.

* I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.

* Forwarded hundreds of mails but still waiting for FREE DESKTOP, LAPTOP, CAMERA, CELLPHONE etc….

* I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer…

* I don’t leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sample and try to rob me.

* I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill with calls to Uganda, Pakistan, Singapore and Tokyo.

* I also stopped drinking anything out of a Can for fear that I will get sick from the rat faeces and urine.

* When I go to parties, I don’t look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

* I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times… (Poor girl! she’s been 7 since 1993…)

* Still open to help somebody from Nigeria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle’s property of $ 100 million. So much trustworthy.
* I have forwarded 35 emails to 400 people hoping that Ericsson or Nokia will send me latest mobile phones but those models are also obsolete now.
* Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Ganesh , Tirupathi Balaji pics etc… Now most of those ‘Wishes’ are already married (to someone else)

NOW IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you do not send this e-mail to at least 11,246 people in the next 10 seconds, a bird will Pee on your head tomorrow by 12:30 PM.

Nothing has happened till now…………………. but who knows. So please forward.

Forwarded, But no Luck: It's your Karma--they say in the spiritual lingo!!!

2009-12-13T17:31:00.000-05:00

Here is Wisdom of the Wise.
The following information posted by Linn Barringer @ PLEASE don't forward hoax virus warnings:

"And if you expected that "some good luck will befall you if you pass it it on..." think on...

I did what you told me...
I sent the email to 10 people, like you said.
I'm still waiting for that miracle to happen..."

Continue reading

Making Etiquette Easy: To Forward or not to Forward

2009-12-12T13:19:00.000-05:00

Do and Don't; To click or not to click; To do it with courtesy or just blunt way; all the above requires a guiding light. An expert in strategic communications, Susan K. Medina, shares her wisdom:

"In a time where digital junk mail can rival the tangible pieces in your mailbox, the practice of clicking ‘forward’ has become the norm. No matter how funny the jokes are or how pressing the matter seems to be, it’s important to ask, “Do I really want to forward this email?” Here are a few things to keep in mind:

If the contents of the email are in any way libelous, offensive, racist, obscene, or inappropriate, your mouse should be racing for the ‘delete’ button. It is much better to verbalize what you heard later than to send it—in writing—in a public format for both obvious professional and legal reasons."

Continue reading the experiences of the wise

LinkedIn – To Forward or Not to Forward an Introduction?

2009-12-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Another type of interesting emails. A decision making point (some may say who cares). The Question is: To accept, or deny the next click? You know the sender (causally, personally, colleague, choices, interests, attitude, personality) / You know the receiver (causally, personally, colleague, choices, interests, attitude, personality) ? Here is a wise word from a Linkedin Expert:

But I’ve just come to a conclusion: No introductions anymore. At least no introductions that are initiated by others. Why such a hard stance? Because when I make introductions, I make them strategically, based on a win-win scenario. I decide that X needs to meet Y because it will be great for both of them. But when someone requests an introduction, chances are they’re trying to sell something to the person they want to meet – to my contact – and that makes me a conduit of SPAM. Yes, spam… and you know how I feel about that. continue reading

Forwarded e-mails by category - Way to Organize Email Overload

2009-12-11T18:13:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not forwarded emails (by friends, etc., and by robots) are not just random, they can most probably fall into some categories (and you can make your own, as well), for example:
>>Friendly fires:

Jokes -- cheap, tragic, comic, satire, sensitive, racial, humorous, etc.
Funny thoughts -- kiddish, adult, immature, political, etc.
Educational / informative -- work related, stress related, occupational, etc
Spiritual / Religious -- evangelical, inspirational, motivational, emotional, etc.
Pics / Comics / Cartoons
News - local, regional, global, historic
Audio / Videos / Multimedia
Much more

>>E-mails forwarded by robots (auto mailers or machines), reach your in-box--like it or not, want it or not, even if you block them they manage their route:

Scam emails
spam e-mails trying to sell you the usual crap like fake Viagra, Cialis, pecker enlargement pills, etc.
&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;
phishing e-mails (which are also scams that you don't want), and in rare cases, an attachment containing a virus or a trojan horse. Don't click on any links or open any attachments in any of the e-mails you receive in your catcher account.
&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;
more spam / scam / chain emails, bulk email, here: http://www.419baiter.com

>>Chain E-Mails and Unnecessary Bulk Mail: Stop the Insanity

>>Note: Bottomline, you still have the options: Delete / mark the sender as spam / forward at ease

Chain emails - send it now to every one you love....

2009-12-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

Some standard statements:

If you need God to open some doors for you...send this on.

This is without a doubt one of the nicest good luck forwards I have received. Hope it works for you - - and me!

Do not keep this message.

"Chain e-mails are those that, in the body or subject of the message, asks the recipient to forward the e-mail on to multiple people. Many chain letter e-mails are hoaxes and are often considered to be a security and privacy risk. If the message is forwarded on by a person, it will usually show the names and e-mail addresses of everyone you have sent it to, and possibly the addresses of everyone the last person (from which you received it) also sent it to. The risk is that you do not know if an unscrupulous or malicious person will receive the e-mail with all the e-mail addresses, and what they might choose to do with that list. Many consider chain e-mail to be a type of spam." source: webopedia.com

Chain Letter Examples of Email Spam
Perfect Example of a Chain-Email « Simon & Schuster Forums

Chronology of Time Pass!!

2009-12-09T14:28:00.000-05:00

Forward, backward or just delete. All of the above is sometimes taken as pass time, time pass, etc.
Chronology of Time Pass!! @ Vijay Padiyar's blog. source: projectsidewalk.com.

A neat flowchart that pretty much explains what we net addicts do when there's nothing useful to do but we have lots of time on our hands!

Unfortunately, in this generation, we just like to stay online for the sake of it, even if there's nothing constructive to be done.

FWD: Good Luck: the Choice--they say in the spiritual lingo--is yours!!!

2009-12-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

Info courtesy: Bee C R

The Buddha of Wealth

Whoever receives this will receive an abundance of
unexpected money or some very good news

Forward this to 20 people within 20 minutes of receiving this. continue your try, until you succeed

continue reading here or here and when you are the luckiest (by way of receiving good news, wealth, treasures, etc. etc.,) share your experiences, please.

Really: "Google Home Income that saved his life?" - - Push-Pull Marketing

2009-12-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

Note: My google chat messenger today popped up (as if sent by a buddy--and not by a stranger; not even an anonymous chatter) with a link to the following article:

Millions of people without jobs, but no worries, working at home is the way to go.
"In a short time Scott Richardson was able to make it with a system called "Google Home Income" that saved his life...."

And, I googled to see what is all this about. I found the following:

Google Home Income Scam Hoax Sites Designed to Steal Money From People Wanting to Make Money Online...

Bottomline: snopes.com: Google 'Work from Home' Scam

An Awesome Simple Effective Viral Email Idea Vs. Pass it on

2009-12-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Note: Here are extracts from two posts by experts in the field of viral marketing.
Good for a reflection: To Forward with your .02 cent or just forget it!!!

An Awesome Simple Effective Viral Email Idea:

I read a great email a while back. It gave an awesome idea of how to take advantage of those certain emails that we all get 20 a day of, mostly jokes.

You know when you scroll down to the bottom of some emails, you’ll often see a link to HotMail, Yahoo or whoever the webmail provider is? Basically any free email provider will have their ad at the bottom of outgoing emails, right?

Wouldn’t it be cool to have your link there?

It would be fantastic! continue reading

Pass it on:

Without wanting to get all Kant about this, I think there’s only one thing wrong with viral marketing, and that is that it doesn’t exist.

I’m not saying that the “viral effect” doesn’t exist. It’s everywhere. The growth of facebook is quite phenomenal for instance. I’m just saying this is not something you put on your marketing schedules. It’s not something where you can add a perceived difference (the monkey falling out of the tree being funny) to what you’re actually marketing.

Just because a phenomnen can be percieved does not necessarily mean that it can (or should) be turned into a type of marketing which is appropriate for any brand. continue reading

Ask a Flowchart: To Forward or Not to Forward?

2009-12-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

By Lore Sjöberg 02.23.09 WIRED MAGAZINE: 17.03

Before You Forward, Read This Flowchart

Some interesting comments on this flowchart at digg.com:

So, I'm only allowed to forward costume-based bestiality?

FWD EMAIL ---------> DEL

Wonder who did the first flow-chart gag? That person definitely deserves recognition

Upgraded Flowchart

Well, I have this bookmarked. I think it'll save me lots of replies that say, "Take me off your mailing list! Who are you, anyway?"

Yeah, and it's ***** awesome so quit forwarding me those motivational posters and stupid jokes where I have to scroll way down to get to the punchline!

Instant Noodles Warning

2009-12-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

URBAN LEGEND says this is online since 2000: status = FALSE

Subject: Fwd: Avoid eating Maggie, Its a Cancerous food product... !!!

(Note: Notice the Pork Awareness section, may help you in explaining our Non-Muslim brothers 'why Pork is Haraam in our religion')

INSTANT NOODLES

Dear instant noodle lovers,
Make sure you break for at least 3 days after one session of instant noodles before you eat your next packet! Please read the info shared to me by a doctor. My family stopped eating instant noodles more than 5 years ago after hearing about the wax coating the noodles - the wax is not just in the Styrofoam containers but it coats the noodles. This is why the instant noodles do not stick to each other when cooking.

If one were to examine the ordinary Chinese yellow noodles in the market, one will notice that, in their uncooked state the noodles are oily. This layer of oil prevents the noodles from sticking together.

Wanton noodles in their uncooked state have been dusted with flour to prevent them sticking together. When the hawker cooks the noodles, notice he cooks them in hot water and then rinses them in cold water before cooking them in hot water again. This process is repeated several times before the noodles are ready to be served. The cooking and rinsing process prevents noodles from sticking together.

The hawker then "lowers the noodles in oil and sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking if they are to be served dry. Cooking instructions for spaghetti require oil or butter to be added in the water when boiling the spaghetti to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Otherwise, one gets a big clump of spaghetti!

There was an SBC (now TCS) actor some years ago, who at a busy time of his career had no time to cook, resorted to eating instant noodles everyday. He got cancer later on. His doctor told him about the wax in instant noodles. The doctor told him that our body will need up to 2 days to clear the wax. There was also an SIA steward who after moving out from his mother's house into his own house, did not cook but ate instant noodles almost every meal. He had cancer, and has since died from it.

Nowadays the instant noodles are referred as " cancer noodles ".

continue reading: CANCEROUS FOODS / PRODUCTS Instant Noodles: Humsurfer

A wonderful advice from the University of Kansas Hospital to prevent H1N1

2009-12-07T22:49:00.000-05:00

Urban legend says this is half truth

The forwarded email:

1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine. *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive, and powerful preventative method.

2. Blow the nose hard once a day and swab both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water. This is very effective in bringing down viral population.

3. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamins C and D. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

4. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Why this blog?

2009-12-07T22:28:00.000-05:00

People send and wish to spread what they like! But, do you appreciate / hate / keep up the marathon (forward it to your friends) or simply delete forwarded emails.

Attention, says a friend's email:
COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS.
REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US

There is no one answer for all the above options. What you do find on the web are discussions / suggestions about the following:

Email 'shareworthiness' under the spotlight

Note: You will find in this blog forwarded emails + (wherever applicable) this blog will digg responses from forums, such as, urgan legned / snopes, etc.