Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NSF Research Reveals Chain Letter Travel Patterns

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the turn-off-the-paved-road dept.

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."

12 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. ac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    One surprising finding was that first posts often took meandering routes between people who knew each other
  2. Politically-motivated Chain Letters by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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!
    1. Re:Politically-motivated Chain Letters by omeomi · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I have a ton of conservative friends from disparate social circles who get the same types of "stupid liberals...tell your friends"

      Those are fun. I used to get those from one particular friend until I started sending point-by-point responses with links to government websites that actually gave the real facts behind the conservative hype. He stopped sending them to me. Either he got the point, or didn't want facts to get in the way of hype. I don't know which.

      --
      ZuluPad, the wiki notepad on crack
    2. Re:Politically-motivated Chain Letters by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Funny

      I started sending point-by-point responses with links to government websites that actually gave the real facts.
      Indeed. I get all my "real facts" from government websites...
      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    3. Re:Politically-motivated Chain Letters by NoobixCube · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Any basic, factual information can have a slight twist to its presentation. Something as simple as positioning two unrelated statistics next to each other without ever specifically linking them can tint someone's view. Or, if it's graphed, and you want to hide or exaggerate the increase in something like a crime rate, then you increase or decrease the increment on either axis. Sure, when you read it, you know what you're actually looking at, but a steep curve means more to your subconscious than any numbers ever could. I'm not attacking any specific government or agency in this. Just pointing out that facts are rarely just facts.

      --
      Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
    4. Re:Politically-motivated Chain Letters by IntlHarvester · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Interestingly, the latest political chainmail tactic is to include a link to Snopes.

      Snopes, of course, says just the opposite of what the letter implies, but apparently most people will take the link alone at face value

      --
      Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
  3. Oh My Gosh! by JayTech · · Score: 5, Funny

    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

    1. Re:Oh My Gosh! by Phyrexicaid · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hai guys! dont kno if thisll work but its worth a shot!!!

      >>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!

      --
      The meme is dead, long live the meme!
  4. Logical Conclusion: by NoobixCube · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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
  5. sure.. patterns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    it doesn't matter what the pattern is.. they all end up in my moms mailbox

  6. One of My Observations Is by beadfulthings · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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
    1. Re:One of My Observations Is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Your observations are supported by research. FactCheck.org posted commentary recently that "notes a decidedly anti-Democrat tilt to the bulk of the e-mail chatter." http://www.factcheck.org/specialreports/that_chain_e-mail_your_friend_sent_to.html