SC - 14th Century Food

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

Kornelis Sietsma wrote:
> 
> I think part of the problem here is the nature of e-mail lists; messages
> travel across the net in strange and mysterious ways, and often several
> people will post replies to a post at the same time - all thinking that
> they were the only person responding.  Unfortunately, even if the replies
> are all courteous and helpful, the original poster will feel somewhat
> put-upon.  But every poster thought that they were the only person
> replying...

Very true. I doubt, though, that that is the cause of the whole problem.
I guess a certain amount of this type of thing is unavoidable, but we
don't need to make it worse with sheer carelessness.
 
> However, may I say that I am *not* happy to agree with the attitude "it was
> an amusing story and obviously fictional, so why complain?"  The original
> post clearly states "This is not a joke --- this is a true story."  Many
> many people across the world have believed that this is true.

Fine. I'll go with that, under normal circumstances. On the other hand,
while service to the truth is probably just about the greatest of
virtues, it can do a great deal of harm. There's a difference between
discovering and telling the truth and the wholesale broadcast of
something which, while true, will cause unnecessary embarrassment. Also,
when publishing the truth, a fair amount (and sometimes plenty) of tact
needs to be exercised. 
> 
> If no-one corrects such things, then they spread to other lists as other
> readers assume that they are true and re-forward them.  The messages become
> a self-replicating virus.  The cookie message is fairly mild - all it does
> is defame N-M somewhat, and spread an (apparently) fairly tasty cookie
> recipe around the world.  Other hoaxes are much worse - I've seen an office
> grind to a halt as a manager tried to make all the users check for the
> "good times" virus in all their mail...

Yeah, I agree with this too, but the solution should be proportional to
the problem, and it needs to be made absolutely clear that our
disapproval of a story that is patently untrue is reserved for the
original fabricator, and not for someone who passed the story along in
good faith.
> 
> Now I just hope 500 other people haven't posted something similar to this
> while mine makes it's way across the world :)

>From your lips to God's keyboard...;  )

Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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