the truth

Isn't it amazing how we seem to accept information, any type of information that goes our way?

I have just recently found out about this site called snopes.com and I got hooked. I spent an entire afternoon looking through the site's collection of facts and rumors.

I already talked about my views on the integrity of the internet once. However, I just realized just how fast we accept the things we read about in the internet and in our emails and it deserved another post.

Just recently, an officemate of mine sent me an email containing pictures of new species of sea creatures found after the tsunami. The creatures were so different from your average fish and I became interested in finding more images that I started searching the internet.

Unfortuantely, all I could find were posts in forums with basically the same pictures and I thought it was strange that the scientific community wasn't writing articles about these creatures.

I should have known better.

Then one of the posts I read mentioned that the creatures were not found after the tsunami, according to snopes, they were photos from an underwater exhibition. There was even news of a mermaid found after the tsunami as well.

That's just one instance. What about all the news about why KFC is no longer called Kentucky Fried Chicken? Who among us didn't think it was because they weren't really using chicken anymore? Well, ok, the KFC chickens here are still small though. Who knew that it was just the word Kentucky and not chicken that made them change their name?

There is no email tracker. So all those messages about children being sick and if you just forward the email then someone rich will give them money is not true. Yes, it is sad because suddenly all the time we thought we "helped" people weren't true.

If you really want to help, yes for free, try clicking on any of these sites:

hunger site
breast cancer site
child health site
literacy site
rainforest site
animal rescue site

just one click everyday.

For all those people who keep sending messages that contain something like "If you do not send this message to everyone, your account will be deleted", it's not true. I kind of suspected this after I saw almost the same message in Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger and even Friendster. I read the proof here. Actually, a few weeks ago Libre, the free MRT newspaper had a weird advertisement at the back. Apparently SUN cellular was being spammed with messages that claimed that the 24/7 call and text feature was at an end unless people started informing other people with the text message. If there is no email tracker then there certartainly isn't a sms tracker.

Yes, even I fell for the Bill Gates email message. Who doesn't fall prey to the promise of money? Then again, we should think. People who know how Bill gates built his empire should realize that he will NEVER give out money. Seriously, that is one shrewd (but mean) businessman. (on a smaller note: Hurray for TUX and LINUX)

My mother used to believe Aspartame was dangerous (though she didn't stop using it because she had been using it for 10 years and in her words: The Damage is already done ) because of an email.

I found out chop suey isn't chinese, The Great Wall of China is not the only thing that can be seen from space and that apples have cyanide *evil grin*.

Ok the cyanide in apples is in the seeds and very harmless amounts but hey, one more way to get poison...

I knew that Fortune cookies is an american invention though. When we went to China around 3 years ago and we ate at Chinese restaurant, we got no fortune cookies, then when we went to the States we ate at 3 chinese restaurants, I got lots of fortune cookies.

I was confused then I found out in Unwrapped, that wonderful show that convinced my sister Mint and Chocolate chips go together, that fortune cookies are american.

I even saw this story about a guy who was tempted by his future mother-in-law as a test to his loyalty to their daughter. I read the same story on FHM Philippines. Yes I read FHM, neal has every issue for three years now. Though the FHM story was better written and the seductress was the future sister-in-law because the mother-in-law part is too unbelievable here.

It's so easy nowadays to spread lies. Just write an email, research the name of the president of the company to back your letter and press send. Sometimes they don't even check the grammar or the spelling.

I guess nowadays I'm more critical when reading my mail. I got one about a human eating filipina once, pics and all, not a pretty sight, but I can't find anything to back it up so I can't say it is true.

Look for the truth, find better sources, don't just believe.