Chain mails and me

About 2 days back a colleague forwarded an email claiming that if I forward it to everyone I know on this earth (and who happens to have an email ID), Bill G (yes, of Microsoft) will part with a share of his fortune. In plain words, for every forward of that email by me and for every forward of it thereafter will get me some $$$ from Microsoft. I wasn't even done through reading that mail when there were more replies to it - from people who didn't want to miss their chance of getting rich. And some of these people I hadnt even heard of before - total strangers.

I wonder where were all these people when this email was doing the rounds of the internet last year or the year before. This hoax is as old as time for Heaven's sake!

I could have done better by just setting up a filter for the subject line and getting on with my work. But No, I have this habit of getting myself into trouble. So what did I do? I got hold of a site proclaiming in no uncertain terms that this is a hoax and Bill Gates is not going to give a dime of his fortune even if you broadcast that email to the whole world! And I sent this link to everyone on the original mailing list. But I forgot to remove the stupid content of the original stupid mail.

What did I get in return? 2-3 more mails from people who either didn't bother to check the site or didn't believe that it was telling the truth.

I could have still set my filter. But I made another mistake. I sent an email requesting to get me off this mailing loop. That did it!! There were more "me too" replies. One girl went ahead and just did ReplyAll to my "get me off this mailing loop" without adding a word of her own!

I was hopping mad in the office ready to strangulate the colleague who started this nightmare. But he was smart enough to stay out of my way.

I have learnt my lesson now - the hard way as usual. Next time I get such an email claiming to get me fortune or good luck or both I am just going to set my mailing filter and forget about it.

The only silver lining I see to this sorry episode is, I hope, that people from the original mailing list who know me must have learnt by now that they shouldn't send me such chain mails unless they are absolutely fed up with their lives!

Wish everyone knew that there are no free lunches in this world!