Email Petitions

This is not something I think, but something I know...

Did you ever get one of those emails asking you to add your name to a growing list of folks much like a petition, and then forward it on to everyone you know?

Did you ever stop to think about how that one list you received became multiple lists when you forwarded it to your friends? Did you then wonder how many times that list had been split before it got to you? If it has spidered out into several directions each time it's been forwarded, there must be THOUSANDS of these emails out there.

So, how do all of these emails ever get back to one place so that someone can gather the names and send to the person or persons that need to know about the public outrage? The answer is simple. They don't.

Here's a little tip for you. These are only ever legitimate when they provide a link to a website where you can sign the petition - where everyone signs it and it is compiled in one place. But beware, sometimes these sites aren't real, either. Sometimes they're just a method of collecting public information - names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc...

Protect yourself out there... The web, while a wonderful thing, can also be ugly! Just don't be too gullible.