How To Avoid Spamming Your Friends (And Teach Them To Do The Same)
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Spam... that is, unsolicited email... is a rapidly growing problem. Most spam is from strangers, but spam from friends is on the rise, too. By learning how to spot friendly spam (and teaching your friends), you'll help to reduce it.
The Five Forms Of Friendly Spam
- Chain letters: "Send this along to keep something bad from happening or to get a reward."
- Urban legends: "Send this along because others should know about it."
- Email petitions: "Do the right thing! Sign this and send it along."
- Virus alerts: "Warn your friends! A computer virus is spreading."
- Time killers: "View & pass along this cute/funny/interesting item."
Chain emails are the easiest friendly spam to spot. They offer reward or punishment in exchange for how you respond to them. The two most common chain email types are:
- Someone will give you money or merchandise if you forward this.
- People who didn't forward this had terrible luck afterwards.
To reward you for sending email, a company would have to know the content of your letters and who you sent them to. However, email tracking without your permission is illegal because it would violate privacy laws. You can learn more here.
And as far as the threat of bad luck goes, it's interesting how superstition works. If you believe that something will change your luck, then every life event becomes evidence to support your belief. In any group of people, there will always be dramatic examples of both good and bad luck, chain letter or not.
The best thing to do with an email chain letter is to delete it.
