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Re: I don't condone chain emails but ... [debunked]
- From: Purplemath <stapel at purplemath dot com>
- To: UKI_ENG_XPS_Dimension_Support <UKI_ENG_XPS_Dimension_Support at dell dot com>, UKI_Support_SC <UKI_Support_SC at dell dot com>, "Western Digital Support" <westerndigital at custhelp dot com>, "Will Brimley" <africanwill at hotmail dot com>,xconq7 at sources dot redhat dot com, "zitta novovic" <zitta1 at hotmail dot com>
- Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:13:54 -0500
- Subject: Re: I don't condone chain emails but ... [debunked]
Dear fellow recipient,
Today, you and I received the following, apparently as part of a "forward
to all" listing on which we both were listed:
> Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations
> have conditioned us to think that the cost of a
> litre is CHEAP....
While it can be amusing to think of oneself as being privy to "secret" or
"vast right-wing" "conspiracies", etc, the laws of supply and demand are,
I'm afraid, fairly well documented and are not, in fact, "plots" of any
sort. I regret to inform that chain letters and other potentially-illegal
activities are unlikely to disprove, let alone overturn, these economic facts.
My personal experience has been that, before forwarding messages of this
sort to "everybody", it is often helpful to do a little research.
Widely-broadcast hoaxes are generally quite-thoroughly documented. In this
case
Snopes ("the" urban-myth reference site)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp
Truth or Fiction
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/f/fuelprotest.htm
Investopedia: Why You Can't Influence Gas Prices
http://investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/gas-price-emails.asp
As can be discerned from the above, this oil-boycott myth has been popping
up online -- usually in the late spring or early summer (that is, near the
beginning of the summer vacation / road-trip season) -- since at least the
year 2000.
If you have been buying petrol (gasoline) during that period, then you are
aware that the previous "campaigns" had no appreciable effect; logically,
it would seem unlikely that this year will produce any better result. In
particular, there is no "need" to foward the solicitation to everyone in
your "address book".
In general, you can learn more about how to combat chain letters on this
dedicated-purpose site:
Break the Chain
http://www.breakthechain.org/index.html
My best wishes to you all, and my apologies for any offense.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Stapel
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It should be noted that sending "snail-mail" chain letters is often a
violation of national law:
United States Postal Inspection Service
http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx
United Stated Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/chainalrt.shtm
United Kingdom Royal Mail (see page 4)
ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/rm/rmg/Suppliers_Information_Security_Schedule.pdf
And sending e-mail chain letters is usually a violation of the "Terms of
Use" for one's e-mail or Internet account. Check with your ISP or other
provider for specifics.