Comments on: Truth, lies, and the Internet

The Kurt Vonnegut speech hoax epitomized the ability of fabrication, fiction, and hyperbole to propagate and become prevalent online.

Bill Gates sharing his fortune

I just got this in an e-mail:

Dear Friends; Please do not take this for a junk letter. Bill Gates sharing his fortune. If you ignore this, You will repent later. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test

When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it ( If you are a Microsoft Windows user) For a two weeks time period.

For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and for every third person that receives it, You will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check.

What's your opinion....we'd like to know
Thanks

[manjula7]

Louisiana Mulch

I got an e mail saying not to buy the cheap mulch at home depot as it is ground up wood from the hurricane in Louisian and is full of some kind of dangerous termite that as of now is only in Louisiana. Is this baloney or truth?

[craigj2]

Bill Gates is doing WHAT?

Sharing his fortune? Even if he did wish to do that, this is not the way he would go about doing it. What's to stop TERRORISTS from forwarding emails, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Microsoft, then thanking him by hijacking a plane and flying it into Microsoft headquarters?
By the way, "email tracking software" does not exist, and if it did, it would raise many issues, especially privacy issues. Don't expect to see it anytime soon.
So, the next time you receive a Hoax email which attempts to blackmail you emotionally by telling you that ?Make A Wish Foundation has agreed to donate 7 cents to cure babies suffering from Cancer for every time this message is sent on,? simply delete it.