On Forwards

I considered titling this "In Hate of Forwards". But it might be misleading. I don't hate all forwards. Some are witty, funny. But the majority are tasteless and worse, offensive. Also, I consider them an invasion of my privacy, especially if sent by someone I a) don't know, b) am not and would not normally be in touch with - I mean, you never mail me a "Hi, how are you?" but you feel yourself entitled to send me boring forwards?

But worse than all this, perhaps is all the wrong "information" they spread. You see it often, some forward soliciting for aid because someone is ill - often with ghastly photographs - and you send it on in good faith, to find later that it has been doing the round for ages. Then there was one some time ago about petrol/diesel prices and how the government is doing nothing about it. Anyone who has any knowledge of the economy would know that the government subsidises petroleum products heavily - if this had been a free economy, we'd have been paying through our noses for fuel. Do those people sending those forwards have any idea about the real price of LPG? Why don't they find out, before clicking on that 'forward' button?

Then there's one I got today, about Tommy Hilfiger supposedly having made 'racist' comments on Oprah Winfrey's show, and pleading for a boycott of his products. My first reaction was gratification - someone actually thinks I can afford designer labels! My first search on Google took me to an Urban Legends article refuting the whole thing. It seems Oprah and Tommy Hilfiger have never met. I am as anti-racist as anyone can get - but why not check your facts first?

Then there are those which warn of dire consequences if you do not forward them. I love deleting those. I sometimes wish I'd kept count of the number I've deleted.

I think I'll send out one of my own. "If you have ever sent on a forward without reading it, you will lose your job within 15 days. If you have ever sent a forward to a person who did not know you, you will remain single all your life - if you are attached, your partner will soon leave you. If you have ever forwarded any 'information' without verifying it, all your hair will fall out within a week."

I wonder how many times I would get that one back!