Approaches to debunking and education...

[jpublic]

I recently ran into a situation today that I feel could have been handled better, but I'm not sure how.

Someone at my company decided to propogate an urban legend - specifically the one where cell phones can cause gas-station fires. She included a document (supposedly from a gasoline company) and a video in her spamming.

I immediately reponded to her email with some debunking:
-the video clearly shows it was a sweater/static spark that caused the blaze
-the enitre bit has been debunked repeatedly (I thought Mythbusters did it best)
-the document was not from the company but was forged by some other fool
-the site listed in the document had on it information debunking the concept, including the statement "a gasoline fire at a gas station has never been directly caused bya cell phone or a cell phone malfunction"

I got some feedback later that I was unfair/mean, and should have been a bit more understanding to the poor gil who was just thinking of our safety, etc etc etc...

How should I have handled this?

Thanks.

[Jas]

I'm assuming that you were polite?

Pointing out the error in someone's logic isn't 'mean'. Rather, she had sent out unsolicited false information, even though she had good intentions.

She was still spamming people with information that she clearly hadn't bothered to verify.

[Denise]

We have a yahoo group which coworkers set up. One member is continuously spamming with silly emails such as "forward this and you will get money." I sent a citation from Snopes ane haven't heard a word since. She had also sent a spam mail saying to forward the email so a child stricken with cancer would get three cents through childrens miracle network. I sent back that I doubt that childrens miracle network would expect forwarded emails before they would help a child with cancer. Of course, I get back, "La La La La, I'm a good person, La La La La, and you're evil" Quite fun.

[RichardR]

That wasn't impolite. Impolite would have been to do what I did once - namely hit "reply all" and send this:

Subject: Warning! Warning! Watch OUT!
***********************************************
WARNING, CAUTION, DANGER, AND BEWARE!
Gullibility Virus Spreading over the Internet!
***********************************************
WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Institute for the Investigation of Irregular Internet Phenomena announced today that many Internet users are becoming infected by a new virus that causes them to believe without question every groundless story, legend, and dire warning that shows up in their inbox or on their browser. The Gullibility Virus, as it is called, apparently makes people believe and forward copies of silly hoaxes relating to cookie recipes, email viruses, taxes on modems, and get-rich-quick schemes.

"These are not just readers of tabloids or people who buy lottery tickets based on fortune cookie numbers," a spokesman said. "Most are otherwise normal people, who would laugh at the same stories if told to them by a stranger on a street corner." However, once these same people become infected with the Gullibility Virus, they believe anything they read on the Internet.

"My immunity to tall tales and bizarre claims is all gone," reported one weeping victim. "I believe every warning message and sick child story my friends forward to me, even though most of the messages are anonymous."

Another victim, now in remission, added, "When I first heard about Good Times, I just accepted it without question. After all, there were dozens of other recipients on the mail header, so I thought the virus must be true." It was a long time, the victim said, before she could stand up at a Hoaxees Anonymous meeting and state, "My name is Jane, and I've been hoaxed." Now, however, she is spreading the word. "Challenge and check whatever you read," she says.

Internet users are urged to examine themselves for symptoms of the virus, which include the following:

The willingness to believe improbable stories without thinking. The urge to forward multiple copies of such stories to others. A lack of desire to take three minutes to check to see if a story is true.

T. C. is an example of someone recently infected. He told one reporter, "I read on the Net that the major ingredient in almost all shampoos makes your hair fall out, so I've stopped using shampoo." When told about the Gullibility Virus, T. C. said he would stop reading email, so that he would not become infected.

Anyone with symptoms like these is urged to seek help immediately. Experts recommend that at the first feelings of gullibility, Internet users rush to their favorite search engine and look up the item tempting them to thoughtless credence. Most hoaxes, legends, and tall tales have been widely discussed and exposed by the Internet community.

Courses in critical thinking are also widely available, and there is online help from many sources, including
Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability at
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html

Symantec Anti Virus Research Center at
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html

McAfee Associates Virus Hoax List at
http://www.mcafee.com/support/hoax.html

The Urban Legends Web Site at
http://www.urbanlegends.com

Urban Legends Reference Pages at
http://www.snopes.com

Those people who are still symptom free can help inoculate themselves against the Gullibility Virus by reading some good material on evaluating sources, such as

Evaluation of Information Sources at
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm

James Randi Education Foundation
www.randi.org

Lastly, as a public service, Internet users can help stamp out the Gullibility Virus by sending copies of this message to anyone who forwards them a hoax.
***********************************************
This message is so important, we're sending it anonymously! Forward it to all your friends right away! Don't think about it! This is not a chain letter! This story is true! Don't check it out! This story is so timely, there is no date on it! This story is so important, we're using lots of exclamation points! Lots!! For every message you forward to some unsuspecting person, the Home for the Hopelessly Gullible will donate ten cents to itself. (If you wonder how the Home will know you are forwarding these messages all over creation, you're obviously thinking too much.)
***********************************************
ACT NOW! DON'T DELAY! LIMITED TIME ONLY! NOT SOLD IN ANY STORE!

[Marian]

Originally posted by jpublic
How should I have handled this?

I'd offer up how I handle it, but I'm too nice, because I still keep getting the same spam.

First offense: I return it only to the sender, with the correct information (most often from Snopes :P) and explain to them why it's UNTRUE. I tell them they may want to let everyone else know that they sent it out to (rarely done, unless they're remembering to not cc me it /shrug)

Second and multiple offenses: I reply to everyone on the list (bbc is your friend, why don't people USE IT?!) and point out that it's completely false, and include supporting sites (snopes etc).

I had one person send me so much crap on a daily basis that I did finally go off, and told them that just a MOMENT of rational thought should have made it extremely obvious that Bill Gates wasn't going to send them $5 for each person they spammed, and strongly and colorfully urged them to add Snopes to their favorite places and spend the time they normally use being Chicken Little more productively by reading that and other sites. (I believe I also maligned their sexual habits and ancestory).

Next day they sent me more stuff. Worse yet? It's my mom. (No I'm not kidding...except of course that I didn't really malign her sexual habits or ancestory (especially since I share the latter :D). But even talking to her on the phone doesn't stop it. And she's not a stupid woman.

I think unfortunately that the majority of people who engage in sharing urban legends as facts are people who are pretty nice and really think they're helping. I try to remember that when responding (as well as remembering that I've fallen for one or two in my time ;)).

My method doesn't work though...people keep sending them to me. (Not just my mother either.) The only good part seems to be that they don't send the same ones twice.

[Dragon]

Richard - :dl:
Can I use that?

[patnray]

You did the right thing (assuming you were not abusive).

As others have suggested, on first offense I reply only to the sender. On second infractions I reply to all. I'm always gentle and let them know I am responding to help them avoid future embarassment, but I'm saving Richard's response for third offenses...

Some people appreciate the tips and the link to Snopes. Others just delete me from their send list, which is fine with me. (I know this because other people I know continue to receive drivel from them).

[Mr. Skinny]

I had a cousin that was sending out lots of this crap to her very long mailing list.

I sent a return e-mail to everyone on the list with a link to Snopes and several other sites for urban legends.

Then I sent a personal message to my cousin explaining that I wasn't trying to make her look bad, but rather I just wanted to educate her.

After that, I never got another piece of glurge or spam from her. Everything she sent out had been checked out. :)

[ca3799]

I loved your "Gullibility Virus" spam. The first anly only useful spam I've ever seen.

At work, they post all the printed out spam warnings in the bathroom. It's always worse around Christmas for some reason. I can't remember them all: the bad guy in the parking lot who tapes a piece of paper to your rear car window so that when you get out to remove it, he jumps you and !X&8. The bad guy at the mall who flattens your tire and the offers to fix it for you, then jumps you and !&%!.

I asked someone if they thought these stories were really true and was looked at as if I might be a bad guy. Don't I want people to be safe?

[SRW]

When I was a system admin/Email admin, composed a letter that I sent out to everyone, explaining Email hoaxes and where to find answers. I also stated in the Email that if they did receive any thing like this that they should send it to me before sending it out. I sent a similar letter to my friends and family, and as a result I do not get many of these things.

[Uh_Clem]

I think you handled it fine, provided you were polite. Sure, she may have been genuinely concerned for people's safety but there's something to be said for being concerned with people's guillibility as well.

We had a guy here at work that used to send out all kinds of the silliest urban legends, virus warnings, boycott company x, etc. One day he sent one out about how NASA spent $30 billion to design a pen that could write upside down. Within a few hours people were replying with things like "typical fat NASA budgets", "your tax dollars at work". I replied to all with a link to snopes debunking the letter. What makes this particularly silly is that at the time we all worked for a company that built satellites for....NASA! This is one group of people that should have known better.

[crimresearch]

The folks who 'get it' after being told about hoaxes and hoaxbuster are one thing.

But the 'Ooops I did it again!' or the 'I only wanted to help' crew are frankly malicious.
Those serial spammers are playing a passive-aggressive game of control, either by sucking up time and resources or by manipulating sympathy and opinion.

There used to be a put down reply that could be sent to all recipients, which rolled all the classic urban legends into one over the top post, making it obvious that nothing with such contents was either new, or innocently obtained, while not directly confronting the original spammer.

Paul

[RichardR]

Originally posted by Dragon
Richard - :dl:
Can I use that? Sure. It isn't really mine anyway. ;)

[PinkRabbit]

I usually write back a rather gentle letter explaining the situation and include a link to something that covers that specific spam, plus a bunch of other information links and the suggestion that people check things out before sending them in the future. I try to mention how it's not very fair to scare people over something that's not real if just a few minutes of research can avoid the problem, then offer to help out if they ever have any questions.

Most people seem to get the message with one or at most two incidents. One or two have taken...er...several more than that, and I did finally have to somewhat lose my temper with someone. I don't know if he's still sending out email hoaxes, but at least he's not sending them to me.

Barb

[Ceinwyn]

Urban legends are interesting.

I was in Toronto one weekend, sitting at a bar on a Saturday night when two girls walk in and sit next to me. They're chatting about this and that, when one of them starts talking about her aunt who vacationed in some tropical isle.

"So they had a great time, they got home and got the pictures developed and OMIGOD...the toothbrush...it was..."

I turned to them and said "let me guess. There was a pic of some native person with her toothbrush up his ass."

She shut up after that.

[Jon_in_london]

We had a guy here at work that used to send out all kinds of the silliest urban legends, virus warnings, boycott company x, etc. One day he sent one out about how NASA spent $30 billion to design a pen that could write upside down.

Theres actually an element of truth in this- the old rumour was that the US spent $100000squllion developing a pen that could write in zero gravity whereas the russians used a pencil. In fact, both the US and USSR started off using pencils but the problem was that if the tip broke you would have a little sharp piece of lead floating about getting stuck in the astronauts eyes, throats, delicate systems etc...

The basic truth is that you can actually use an ordinary biro in zero g......