gullibility
Warning - this post is a rant, pure and simple.
What is it about email that causes otherwise intelligent people to stop thinking rationally and accept almost anything, no matter how ridiculous? In the last week I’ve seen an untrue email about Barack Obama, and a several years old hoax about a new virus loose on the internet. In both cases, the email began with something to the effect of, I saw this on CNN and it’s true, check it out on snopes.com! Of course, had they taken 60 seconds to check it out on snopes.com, or one of a number of other urban legend websites, they would have found out that it wasn’t true at all.
Which really got me to wondering. The email even says check it out here - why didn’t they? It’s similar to the old conundrum - I can tell you there’s over 6 billion stars in the sky, and most of you will believe me, but if I tell you there’s wet paint somewhere you have to touch it. So why is this different? This information is verifiable, even as a hoax, so why aren’t people doing so? I wish I knew so I could tell you what to do about it, besides wake up and think.
If you email a link to this entry to 10 of your friends and make a wish, that wish will come true tomorrow, and 3 minutes from now a really cool graphic will be shown on your screen. If you don’t send a link to this to anyone, your computer will send me your address and my minions will conspire to ruin the rest of your life.
Disclaimer: if you believed any of that last paragraph, go look up the word sarcasm and smarten up. Maybe I should put a banner on my site that says you must be at least this smart to view this site…