Email hoaxes -

Recently I got an all personnel email from a coworker warning of terrible insect issues and to be careful of getting bitten. Well, the first thing I do is to run to snopes.com and check it out. As is typical of most of these warnings, it was false. So I sent back a note saying it was and provided the link to snopes. A few minutes later a correction email was sent out with a pissy attitude stating that the info was false and that since snopes knows everything they just will never forward anything again. 

Really? I am sure that my email was probably 1 of 5 or 6 corrections to the sender but this type of response seems uncalled for. What's interesting is that I have seen this before. 

Obviously the original sender feels shame or feels stupid for getting caught, but to "take your toys and go home" seems to be an overreaction to me. Just admit you were wrong and check snopes before you send something out like this again. It's not hard. 

This got me thinking though- why do I send the correction emails to people? I could just delete it and ignore it. I think it is because I have a strong sense of doing what is right and as such I hate to see bad information or lies passed on to people as the truth. These hoaxes are exactly that- hoaxes. They need to stop being sent around and the only way to do that is to educate people on how to check for a hoax and to not pass them along. 

So the next time you get an email warning you about tigers wearing gang colors flashing lights in your face at Wal-mart to trick you into giving up your credit card numbers, please... check snopes or one of those sites first. Don't just send it on to everyone in your address book. 

Because if you do, I know I am going to have to correct my grandfather when he forwards me this stupid email from your co-workers cousin's best friend's aunt.