From: "DAVID J. PRATTO" <djpratto@DURKHEIM.UNCG.EDU>
Organization: University of NC at Greensboro
To: MedSoc@csf.colorado.edu
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 09:19:56 EST
Subject: Re: help a child with cancer
Priority: normal
Message-ID: <677D261AC4@durkheim.uncg.edu>
Dear Chloe,

Good luck trying to get AOL to follow up on this kind of damaging of 
public trust.  What is needed is a few very public proscutions of 
such "fire in a crowded theater" type to effectively stop this kind 
of nonsense.
David

Date:          Mon, 10 Feb 1997 15:16:07 -0500
Reply-to:      MedSoc@csf.colorado.edu
From:          Chloe Bird <Chloe_Bird@brown.edu>
To:            MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY   <MedSoc@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject:       Re: help a child with cancer

  I am very concerned that the letter was forwarded regarding a child with
cancer is in fact another example of bogus chain letters.  I have written to
the postmaster at AOL to attempt to verify this.  However, there are usually
too many messages returned as complaints for the proported originator to
respond.  In addition a second chain letter is necessary to attempt to end
the circulation of the original (which may also begin recirculation at any
time as a few uninformed users pass it on after it has been denounced).  A
similar recent episode involves messages announcing nonexistant computer
viruses (e.g. the Goodtimes virus).  Well meaning users forward the
"warning" to everyone with whom they are in e-mail contact. 
  Even if this is a legitimate e-mail, chain letters overburden the
internet, slowing down transmission of messages and wasting valuable
resources (albeit at no cost to those who send such messages).  Please do
not encourage this use of the internet for good causes or illicit purposes,
it will only hasten the day we have to pay for e-mail messages.
Chloe E. Bird, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Research)
Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research
Box G-B223B
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912

Phone: (401)863-7345
Fax:   (401)863-3489
Email:  Chloe_Bird@brown.edu

David J. Pratto, Professor and Head
Department of Sociology
UNCG