March 10, 2007
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Internet Integrity
I’ve been having a debate with my family recently about forwarding “un-sourced” photos received via email, and wondered what the “blogoshpere” thought. To wit, in chronological order, with appropriate names changed (to protect the innocent) and commentary from my brother and cousins:
(Note: my highlighted editorial marks and yes, I do have too much time on my hands, but I’m still up until 4 in the morning documenting this nonsense! Why to I bother??
(Inside joke))
From: My Dad’s Friend
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:24 AM
To: Multiple Recipients
Subject: Photo’s of Storm blowing into Downtown BuffaloCheck these pictures out!
Here are a few Photo’s of a Lake Effect storm blowing into downtown
Buffalo , I thought they were interesting and I would share them with you.
If you are not from Buffalo the first picture shows the HSBC tower on
the left of the photo, (the tall building) the Niagara section of the
Thruway runs right next to it, milepost N 5.0 or so, and Route 5
To the right of the photo the building that
looks like a inverted cone is Buffalo City Hall easily visible from the
Thruway at Milepost 5.8 or so.
If you are from Buffalo you know that we often have Lake Effect storms
which cause white out conditions in one area, an in other areas the sun
can be out. This often makes it hard for the people in the sunny areas
to believe that the reports of limited or no visibility could possibly
be true.
These photo’s illustrate how a Lake effect blows in and the kind of
conditions its creates in the affected area
(ed: note misplaced apostrophe’s a hallmark of a phony email)
(ed: and 2 more like this, almost the same. Looks photoshopped to me!)
From: My Dad
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:24 AM
To: Carey & Multiple Others
Subject: Photo’s of Storm blowing into Downtown BuffaloThese were sent to our neighbors who are from Buffalo by a friend that still lives there. (Is that OK Carey??) (ed: SLAM!!) I’ve heard of lake effect snow, but this is the first time I’ve really seen anything but the results!
From: Carey
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 12:17 PM
To: Dad
Cc: My Brother
Subject: RE: Photo’s of Storm blowing into Downtown BuffaloActually the jury is still out on this one Dad
http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/buffalo.asp
From: My Brother
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 10:35 AM
To: Carey & Dad
Subject: RE: Photo’s of Storm blowing into Downtown BuffaloWell the jury may be out on the photos, but not the fact that Dad accurately documented where he got it from. (ed: unlike last time he sent a similar photo and I complained more)
From: Carey
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 11:05 AM
To: My Brother & My DadCc: My Cousins
Subject: RE: Photos of Storm blowing into Downtown Buffalo (I’ve removed the offending apostrophe J)Technically true, however, the person who sent them to Dad, claims their friend who still lives in Buffalo sent them to him, which is basically the same as what the Snopes website says; “someone in the Buffalo division…” The problem is that if this is indeed a photoshopped picture that people will find impressive and forward around the world, the people who still use antiquated operating systems like Windows 95 or even 3.1 (someone in Krakow Poland logged onto my website last week using Windows 95 and 640 x 480 monitor) are vulnerable to hacks that steal information that is encrypted in small snippets of code in the email or the embedded photo. This type of computer crime can affect everyone (imagine if our 80 year old aunt’s credit was ruined and she was kicked out of her house, and had to move in with you because of an email about a snowstorm in Buffalo!!), so it’s important to know if emails are true or not, before perpetuating the problem!
(ed: LOL, OK, maybe a bit of a stretch)
The other issue is one of pure ethics. Someone in this thread is lying. It may not be Dad or his neighbor but it’s someone. This goes to the integrity of the Internet, and again perpetuates a problem. When I get photos like this from anyone I know, I’m more concerned about people questioning the sender’s integrity and honesty, than I am about whether or not the photo is indeed real. When it’s someone you know that’s spreading these things over the Internet, you don’t want them impugning themselves. You should always try to check the facts first.
(ed: 20/20 had a piece tonight on those Nigerian email scams, and people who actually fell for them! One was a heart surgeon!)
–Carey–
From: My Cousin
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 11:12 AM
To: Carey
Subject: RE: Photos of Storm blowing into Downtown Buffalo (I’ve removed the offending apostrophe)It really is therapeutic for you, isn’t it?!!!LOL…you are cracking me up!!!I enjoyed your customer service letter on your blog as well.I meant to email you about that.
The answer to “Why do I bother?!” is “Because you need to!”.
From: Carey
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 11:38 AM
To: My Cousin
Cc: My Other Cousin
Subject: RE: Photos of Storm blowing into Downtown Buffalo (I’ve removed the offending apostrophe)I am becoming a bit neurotic in my old age aren’t I??
It’s so funny that you ended with “Why do I bother” because as I was reading your message I was on the phone with a coworker, and asked why he hadn’t responded to my email, and he said he never got it. So when I looked, it was still on my taskbar because I hadn’t pressed Send yet. His response, “Why do I bother?” LOL–Carey–
From: My Other Cousin
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 12:15 PM
To: Carey
Subject: Re: Photos of Storm blowing into Downtown Buffalo (I’ve removed the offending apostrophe)You people have way too much time on your hands!! J Oh, and, thanks for removing the apostrophe! I was, indeed, offended by it. LOL
Update: A Customer Service Rep at this bank did the right thing, and I have removed their name as a courtesy
Oh, and speaking of that email I sent the other day to the bank that had one of my mortgages; here is their stupid canned response. Bastards! (Though I expected nothing more, LOL….just a venting process)
To: Customer From: Bank Subject: Re: Reason for delinquency/assistance Message: Dear Carey
Thank you for contacting us when a loan transfers from one servicing company to another, the normal procedure is for the previous servicing company to forward the payment to the current servicing company.
If the payment check in question has already cleared your bank, please forward a front and back copy of the cleared check to P.O. Box 890036, Dallas, TX 75389 or via facsimile to 214.861.5483, so that we may follow-up with the previous servicing company directly to recover the funds. If the payment check has not yet cleared your bank, please monitor your account for posting of the payment upon its receipt by us. Please know that we do not assess late fees or report any payment information to credit bureaus for the first 90 days following the transfer of your loan. Consequently, no credit has yet been reported for your account. Future payments, however, will be subject to credit reporting.
We appreciates having you as a customer and we value your business. It has been a pleasure assisting you.
Sincerely,
[Closing]
Web Customer Service
I just got off the phone with Erin in your collections department and apparently there has been a gross miscarriage of justice regarding my account with your bank. Besides the fact that your website is juvenile and un-navigable, it is showing me as past due. I have never been late for ANYTHING in my life. Not a movie, not a wedding, and certainly not a loan payment. Your website (that looks like it was designed by a 5 year old (scratch that, 4) tells me my past due amount is $879 but when I go to make a payment, it tells me that only $360 is due. Erin in your customer service department; (who was very nice by the way, which was unusual as I would guess that such a shady two bit corporation like yours would only hire shady, dishonest criminals who rape people, like your company rapes its customers.) Anyway, I digress, Erin told me that the erroneous “Amount Due” was simply a “computer glitch” and when loans are transferred to other servicers, payments sometimes get “lost in the shuffle”. You may not know this, but the phrase “lost in the shuffle” refers to playing cards that sometimes get “lost”. It is often used to connote random happenings that might get missed in our busy lives. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT meant to be used by lenders who affect the credit and thereby the lifelong viability of a consumer’s existence. We are taking about basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. This FLIP remark only strengthens my belief that your company has been completely negligent in handling my account. When I signed up for this loan, I specifically stated that you were not to send me ANY mail. Snail mail is a 20th century technology which I REFUSE to acquiesce to in the 21st century. I haven’t checked my mail since Christmas, since it’s all junk anyway, and I haven’t put a stamp on an envelope or even written a check in five years, and I’m NOT about to start now. I demand to have a supervisor call me immediately (if not sooner) to discuss your liability in this abhorrent customer service debacle. Lest you forget, “I” am the customer and YOU are here to serve “ME”. I refuse to let a “computer glitch” destroy my good name. Five years from now, your company will surely be out of business, and I will be faced with the ENORMOUS challenge of fixing MY credit. I await your call.