Sunday, April 27, 2008

Chain letters

I think the reason for the proliferation of chain emails is the relative ease with which they can be forwarded. It takes literally seconds to type addresses, click "send," and stave off several years' bad luck. It's superstition combined with laziness and a lack of consideration for others that fills our inboxes.

Compare that to 15 or more years ago when chain letter envelopes were left on church pews for the gullible reader to find. Forwarding them was a chore, requiring photocopying (I can only imagine re-typing with carbon paper), envelope stuffing, and finding a church pew or pigeon box to leave them in.

Old school chain mail required a little bit more work, time, and money to follow, which is why it didn't proliferate as much. It was not so much rationality at work as it is laziness and the lack of willingness to spend.

Nowadays it's only too easy to be an idiot.

3 comments:

alwaysanxious said...

Mas pinadali pa iyan sa Friendster. Mas marami tuloy pumapatol at di nag-iisip. Kainis.

missingpoints said...

Well, at least ngayon walang papel na nasasayang, oras lang talaga.

Anonymous said...

Ang dahilan nila "wala namang masama kung maniniwala"... Irita.

Meron pa ngang letters na wala ngang bad luck involved, pero may "if you forward this to 10people, the guy you love will kiss you tomorrow"... Eto namang mga hopeless romantic (or just plain hopeless), forward pa 20 times para mas malakas ang bisa. Asus! Unless yung love niya e asawa/boyfriend/whatever niya, getting a kiss from someone in 24hrs who doesn't even know you is close to impossible. Mga uto-uto.