Popular urban legends partly to blame for avalanche of junk e-mail: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
So... if you're tired of the "well meaning" hoaxes, chain letters, "share this with your best friends" and the rest, it's a bit more of a problem than just annoying a few people. Ever wonder why sometimes it takes just a little bit longer to access the web, download your email, etc.? Here ya go...
Popular urban legends partly to blame for avalanche of junk e-mail: South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Urban legends _ those weird stories that seem to take on lives of their own as they travel from person to person _ have likely been around for centuries. But in the last decade, the Internet has added a new, more encompassing dimension to the spread of false rumors. Fictitious e-mails designed to warn, generate laughter, provide inspiration or sometimes solicit money from recipients pour into computer inboxes every day, tying up servers and slowing down employees who spend time reading, deleting or sending junk e-mail rather than working.
Despite software designed to filter unsolicited e-mail, most people have yet to figure out an effective way to rid their computers of spam _ those annoying bulk e-mails from unknown senders offering great deals on everything from Rolex watches to Viagra. They can add to the dozens of e-mails from people they know who spend hours, often with good intentions, sending out poems, prayers, chain letters and stories of schemes and lurking dangers.