Slashdot Mirror
NSF Research Reveals Chain Letter Travel Patterns
alphadogg writes to tell us that the NSF is researching chain letters and how they travel. The results aren't quite what one might expect, showing a pattern of more selective and circuitous travel. "One surprising finding was that messages often took meandering routes between people who knew each other, often through as many as 100 intermediaries. Many email users also received copies from multiple social groups. The researchers concluded that because messages come from many directions, there's ample opportunity for the messages to be edited along the way."
What? African or European?
ZuluPad, the wiki notepad on crack
I'd be interested in how some of these patterns reveal themselves, especially for the Rovian whisper campaigns we see a lot of nowadays. While a liberal myself, I have a ton of conservative friends from disparate social circles who get the same types of "stupid liberals...tell your friends" chain letters that they always pass on to me lol.
The timing seems impeccable at times as well. After 9/11, they all passed on a "Palestinians did it" letter around the same time. Same with the "Obama is a Muslim" letter. Of course, geography might be an issue since they all live relatively close to me.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Oh my gosh! That email about an email tracker is TRUE!! Chain letters DO get tracked! And guess what? If you send this information to 10 people, you'll get a $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE!
// jokes, obviously
Some people send chain mail, others don't. Others still, don't want their friends to know they're chain mail sending idiots, thus explaining the "meandering routes".
Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
it doesn't matter what the pattern is.. they all end up in my moms mailbox
That for the interval covered by the (Bill) Clinton administration, my inbox was full of conservative (and Republican) generated "pass it on" emails vilifying him and anybody else connected with his administration. I probably got two or three a day. For the past eight years we've had a Republican in office, and I don't remember even a single liberal (or Democratic) generated email vilifying the Republicans. I'd almost have to say that if you observed my inbox, Republicans and conservatives love to send these out and liberals and Democrats don't.
"Here's what's happening. You're starting to drive like your Dad..." - Red Green
It is well documented that forgeign customers of the African Development Bank have a 110% chance of dying, with all family and next of kin, in a plane crash, leaving behind, on average, 40 million dollars in unclaimed accounts. This will invariably result in hundreds of unscupulous bank employees attempting to recruit only slightly less unscrupulous partners to transfer these funds out of the country before the accounts are turned over to the government.
In an attempt to curb this illegal activity, the Office of Account Disbursement, has decided to automate the disbursement proceedings so that these funds may be liquidated before the scammers can act.
You have been selected through a highly rigorous screening process, based on your certified honesty and integrity, to participate in this entirely legal and worthwhile program. To recieve an automatic disbursement following the next fatal plane crash, simply send your bank account information and any necessary passwords/pin numbers to: SueDonym@hotmail.com and in no time, you too will be rich!
Please forward this confidential email to everyone in your address book. Thank you, and enjoy your future wealth.
Someone stole one of your articles.
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
The researchers concluded that because messages come from many directions, there's ample opportunity for the messages to be edited along the way. Oh boy, somebody needs... Captain Obvious, awaaaay!
duh?
"But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
-- Joe
"One surprising finding was that messages often took meandering routes between people who knew each other, often through as many as 100 intermediaries."
That means that after 100 steps the mail came back to somebody who knew the original sender? After, you know, having been sent to everybody in one's address book?
NO SH!T SHERLOCK!
I thought everybody was connected to everybody via at most 6 links or so.
Bitten Apples are still better than dirty Windows...
Captain Obvious is alive and doing quite well these days.
on iPhone here, no copy/paste, so google:
"chain letter" Scientific American
for the article "Chain Letters and Evolutionary Histories"
The Admin and the Engineer