Letters to the Editor
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Chain gang
Bizarre response, Cary. Can't tell if it's literal or sarcastic/ironic; probably the latter, in which case it means, "just ignore the small stuff and get on with it".
I won't get into the constant, blatant ads for his book that are splattered all over the Life section, recycled columns that are already written, which most of us have already read.
These e-mails aren't much different from the chain letters of old, photocopied a million times so you can barely read them. Just send them to 100 close friends, and blessings and prosperity will be yours! If you fail to do so, curses will rain down on your head and on all the generations to come.
The worst, in my opinion, are the prayers. They seem innocent enough, goodwill messages from the likes of St. Theresa (not sure who she is, but the name seems convincing) - but then you get to the punch line: "Send this prayer to 350 people within the next 5 minutes, and St. Theresa will bless you with material prosperity, perfect health for the rest of your life, complete dominion over the world," etc. But if you don't send it, oops, that other guy will get after you (or Theresa, obviously pissed off at you for ignoring her, will start to throw thunderbolts).
These aren't goodwill messages. They are threats. Far from being unconditional, as a true blessing should be, they are highly conditional, contingent on falling into line and following the rules. They are fear-based: "if I don't do this, then. . . " Last time I checked, true faith wasn't based on fear.
What appalls me is how often I get this junk from otherwise intelligent, even spiritually sincere people. The little blinking angels are especially irritating. The culture has taken the concept of spiritual guidance (as a still, small voice within) and distorted it into something like a lucky rabbit's foot. This is no different from ordering those vials of Lourdes water from the backs of magazines.
It all comes out of the tap, folks. The same tap.
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OK, let us READ the letter from the LW annnnnnnd
see if anoyone can find the following in the letter:
"If your boss can't recognize a bogus chain letter, or even thinks it's OK to give the impression that
>>>>>>>>>>>>he<<<<<<<<<<<
can't recognize a bogus chain letter, you are not in good hands."
Why does scary cary sneak that "he" in there?
Is it a surreptitious sexist remark of self hate??
I have to question whether a "he" would send out things with a "fluffy cat" at the end.
Of course, there may be that rare sort who does however, those who can see between the lines are not fooled here.
As to the LW's problem, it seems that it would be constructive to reply to her boss with links to snopes which address each of the hoaxes.
In addition, a line ot two of how these things make someone look to others MAY make the boss notice the ignorance of sending these things, even if it is a "he".
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Wait until you get
someone clogging the department distribution list with minutia bull that is peripherally related to department business. This persona also argues with people about settled department policy by using the global email.
I'd love to just get forwards. I could delete them. I have to read this bull to see if any of it affects me, or if my name is being invoked so I can disassociate myself.
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Develop a thicker skin and delete the emails
Trust me - there are much worse bosses out there. If you change jobs over this, you just might find them. Bosses can do all sorts of horrible things to you - be grateful that the worst thing yours does is send out fluffy kitties.
Never mind that if you quit your job over these fluffy kitties, there's no guarantee that you'll actually find another one. How's your budget? How long can you last without a job?
Delete the emails, don't comment on them in any way, and go on with your life and your work. No point in getting yourself all worked up over something that's so easily dealt with.
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Take a Deep Breath. Reacquaint Yourself With the "Delete" Key.
LW,
I feel your pain. Recently a well-intentioned member of a professional association I'm in, decided to send the entire membership a forwarded e-mail about cellphones, telemarketers, and the Do Not Call registry. Worried that this might become a habit, I composed a gently worded personal e-mail that included a link to Snopes. (He thanked me for the e-mail but assured me - with utmost certainty - that both Snopes and I are incorrect. Of course the story was true! His friend's cousin's friend swears the story appeared in her local Wisconsin paper! Oy...)
If you bring it up to your boss (even in the most tactful professional way), one of two things will happen:
1 - Your boss will vehemently defend the content of these e-mails and quickly point out *your* stupidity. (See above.)
2 - Your boss will be embarrassed, may or may not learn from his/her mistake, and ultimately find some way to take it out on you.
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Wait two weeks, then send them back
If your boss mentions that he/she was the one that sent it to you in the first place, say, "Gee, sorry...I get the same emails forwarded to me from so many people that I don't remember who's sent it to me already." Then maybe your boss will realize that most of this stuff has been going around and around for years and that just because they haven't seen it before doesn't mean everyone else hasn't.
I've had no patience with this stuff since pre-Internet days when that choking doberman story was making the rounds, and two different people I knew got angry at me for saying it was a hoax, because it had happened to the second cousin twice removed or whatever of someone they knew.
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My mother-in-law is a compulsive FWDer
Ugh, I really love her but I HATE getting these things. Worse, any pictures included with the e-mails turn into boxes with "x" in the corner by the time they reach me. So I don't even get the pleasure of viewing fluffy kittens and puppies. I was within a hair of asking her to take me off her list, then she FWD'd me a FWD about why she FWDs these things all the time ... because it means she's thinking about me! Wow! I guiltily slithered away from the keyboard. One time I directed her to Snopes.com, and she stopped sending the FWDs for a while. She just started again. Argh. I keep telling myself, "She's 81 years old and won't be around much longer, and if it brings her some measure of satisfaction to do it, then let it go." But she isn't my boss, thank goodness. (Her son is.) I believe I'd start looking for another job if I were the LW.
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Can haz "delete button"?
Cut your boss a break. He/she is trying to connect. Chain emails are the email equivelant of "Man, nice day, isn't it?"
They're just way more annoying.
Delete the things and get on with your job. I'd rather have a fluffy kitty or an urban legend, than get another gross "improve your sexual performance" email.