Forum FAQ - Chain Emails

If you receive a forwarded email which purports to contain a warning or advice of any kind, you MUST:

• First, check on www.snopes.com to see if the advice is genuine.
• If it is not genuine, do not forward it to the Forum or to anybody else. You might like to reply to the person who sent it to you (but not to any other recipients), pointing out the fact that it is junk. Otherwise just delete it.
• If you cannot find any reference to it on www.snopes.com, try www.google.com. If you cannot find any reference anywhere online, and you are not yourself an expert in the subject matter, forward it to one or two people (only) who you think might be able to verify the information.
• If, and only if, you have followed all of the above steps, and you are still sure the advice is genuine, then you can forward it to friends and/or the Forum. Even then, please:
  • Ensure you edit it carefully - do not just hit the forward key and send it with the complete chain of previous recipients visible.
  • If it is a long "story with a moral", consider editing it down to the bare facts in your own words.
  • If you can find a reference on a good web site (such as www.snopes.com), consider sending a web link rather than the text itself.
  • Ensure any personal email addresses are listed as "Bcc" (not as "To" or "Cc"), unless you are sure all the recipients know each other already.

Please send comments on this page, or suggested updates, to me (not the list).

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