GLURGE
Forwarding Email
Internet Hoax
I know I am going to step into a fire with this one, but I feel I must. I have articles up on
www.GregVail.com that combat the Forward Button and Glurge. Glurge is defined as lies, proposed to be truth for some desired response from the reader. It might be a warm fuzzy feeling, tears at how beautiful the story is, or just a sick story that turns your stomach. The topic is addressed on my primary site. You can read stories, examples, a Glurge test, find websites that deal with the truth regarding these stories and hear me rant a little.
The links -
MUST FORWARD - Explanation of the problem
GLURGE - HOAX - How to spot a Hoax
The reason I am presenting this on my personal BLOG is, this has been a crusade for years now, and I just received an email that encouraged me to open dialog on the topic.
My personal site has a Guest Book - Message Board. This guest book will be disappearing once my new site is uploaded and this comment needs to be heard.
After reading my articles, linked above, take a look at Janet's comment and you will find my response below.
Janet's Post - Mon. September 3, 2007
___________________________________________________
Subject: Please (don't) forward
Date: Mon Sep 03 2007
Author: Janet
Hi Greg,
I found your site while searching for stuff on glurge. There is so little critical discussion on this topic (apart from Snopes; what would we do with out them). Most of my friends have been sent the link to snopes often enough to have deleted me from the list of friends they forward stuff to.
I have been getting a little over-excited about glurge lately because someone (for the nth time) sent a revolting piece of glurge known as "The Folded Napkin" to a discussion list I am on. This list is for mothers, grandparents etc of children with Down Syndrome. Now, you might think such a group might be a little discerning about bits of glurge that are so close to home. But when I stuck my head over the parapet and said "hey, wait a minute. I don't like this piece for (long list of reasons), I got a viscous response that basically meant "sit down and shut up, life's too short". Like some people thought they had a right to shut down threads on a list because they prefer a diet of cotton candy. And shut it down they did, because members who supported me felt they had to do so off-list.
Sorry, sounds like I'm winging. But as the mother of a disabled child I've been handed bits of glurge (virtual and hard copy) for the last 18 years. The purpose of all this glurge is to make me feel blessed for having a disabled child, while society can continue on ignoring our real needs.
Anyway, thanks for putting up the only real critique of the glurge habit that I've been able to find (as opposed to snopes, who just concentrate on refuting or verifying individual pieces). We really need this discussion.
And now I'm going to check out the rest of your site
_________________________________________________
Greg's Response - Mon. September 3, 2007
I am so glad to find your post! Our culture has made a sad shift away from truth in recent years. People don't
even care what the truth is anymore. They would rather look for lies that make them feel fuzzy inside than know the truth.
I had a friend of a friend, from a list that I and this woman received a very lame piece of fiction; that I
responded to ALL with the Snopes link explaining the TRUTH on the email we received.
It was a blood bath of response. The sender was unable to work the rest the day, going home ill, and her best friend wrote a series of emails slamming me for being so rude. The final statement shut me down on this. She said, "Maybe we just want to believe that this is true." and, "Who are you to tell us this is not true?"
What can anyone say to that logic? I apologized and stopped engaging the discussion with these people. The good that came from this was being removed from more lame email lists.
Funny thing - On the news stations, I keep hearing reports on email overload in the work place and how it is
destroying corporate America. I finally heard someone suggest asking friends to limit the off work topic emails.
I have been asking friends to stop it for years now. Some have disappeared, but honestly; I was not upset about it. By the time they got the message, I was very tired of the ongoing disrespect.
Think about it. What kind of friend ignores you, doing the exact thing you asked them to stop? If you have a
friend that punches you in the arm every time you see them. And you ask, ask again, plead, remind them, and continue asking them to PLEASE STOP. Is this a friend? Maybe they realize it bothers you so they do it more and harder. What about asking all their other friends to start punching you in the arm? Pretty funny hungh??????
I have had this happen and been attacked for asking people not to send garbage to me. I have removed these
people and even blocked and SPAMMED email after a while.
If some one could say to you, "Life is too short to deal with the truth when this stupid lie makes me feel
better." I say, "Life is too short to deal with stupid people!" God forgive me for making a judgment call on another individual. But I must clarify. The judgment is not of this person or there beliefs, the issue is the need to spread misinformation and the deaf and stupid inability to edit an email list to not include ME. That should be culturally acceptable.
But I will confess and must point out - misinformation in most other areas of life would be considered STUPID by all. Misinformation in math, science, history? Who are you to tell me that 2+2 is not 13?"
"Who are you to tell me I will fall to the ground?"
The 'idiot' will fall to the ground, the very moment they challenge gravity with the lack of matter between their feet and some form of matter held to the ground by the gravity force of this spinning ball we call Earth. Step off your roof - fall down. Does it matter how much you believe you will fly? NO. Gravity wins. Truth. Sorry.
SO, on a personal note; I think people are stupid, by choice, when they don't care to know the truth. I call
them uneducated for not checking, but STUPID for choosing to believe a lie.
When they say, "I don't have time to research everything that comes across my desk", I respond, "That's fine. Then don't send it to everyone in your world. Have a little integrity."
When they respond as if I am condemning them. I remind them that it makes them look stupid to everyone in the world when they do that. I then have to ask them to at least remove me from the list or emails altogether.
How often I get a mass email followed by an apology because someone nailed the sender with the TRUTH, and they ended up rescinding the email.
I am glad I'm not the only one that is trying to help friends and family find websites to check silly stories.
I'm also very glad to get an email on this topic. I have had those articles up for years now and this is the
first response I have ever received. It is encouraging to find someone else that shares my conviction that we should not send everything we get in an email to all our friends without checking it out first! The information highway has become a misinformation highway, and only we can stop it by not forwarding it.
I'm sorry you have faced opposition on the forum. Let it go, knowing you set the record straight and some people will believe whatever the want to, regardless of the facts. Blessings to you and your child! Your a good mom and a good person for caring!
Greg Vail
