> If I see ONE more email from a naive, upset person ranting about "Bill 602P" that will charge five cents for every email sent, I think I will shoot myself in the head.

Don't do that. Shoot THEM in the head.

> I generally take satisfaction in going to urbanlegends.about.com, proving the rumor to be a myth, and then choosing "Reply All" when I respond to the email. However, I now find myself in a different situation. I have a 150-member Communication Studies class that focuses on media. We all have to sign on to the "List Proc" and make a comment or reply to a comment pertaining to the class lecture, reading, or a news item dealing with issues we discuss in class. This means that I get a *minimum* of 150 emails each week, but so far I'm getting about 35 emails a day. (Do the math: It comes out to well over 200 a week, and the number is climbing.)

I don't think I get that many solicited emails a *year*. I get a ton of spam, though, and I think that spam is the category that this type of thing falls into.

> Anyways, some STUPID IDIOT posted the email forward about "Bill 602P" and they were so excited because they thought this was Major Breaking News. I promptly replied with a quote from urbanlegends.about.com (and the link) that clearly explained how false this rumor really is. Did it work? Nope. Several more STUPID IDIOTS responded to the first message and were just as excited as the original sender. A few people did respond to my email, asking for more information about other places on the Internet to search.

Only people with little computer knowledge do these kinds of things. It's really impossible to regulate unless you have each server in a centralized area (like a building).

> I then posted a second email about how to prove these emails wrong. Did it work? Nope. To date, over twenty more STUPID IDIOTS have posted, screaming about how terrible this is and how they will go broke. The one email that amused me was from a person who said, "For those of us who use AOL, we already pay over $20 a month for Internet."

I hate it when people say 'I pay for Internet' or 'Can you install the Internet?'. It's not singular.

> I guess people who get ripped off are prone to be more susceptible to these stupid email pranks.

:) I'm actually recommending AOL to someone right now, because he doesn't have much computer experience, and I think that a 'gated community' approach is better for little kids. They can have the real, uncensored Internet later.

> Ell"And that's my rant for the day"myruh

Worm"And that's my post for the day"wood