Talk:Chain letter

Could "purely accidental imperfect copying" really make a chain letter more likely to be sent? This seems a little far-fetched, considering the time span that most chain letters last. --Berdidaine 21:14, 11 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Only bad?

I'm sure when I was younger, in the late 80s, a kid at my school got a chain letter and it didn't purport to offer any kind of financial award, and didn't threaten the recipient with bad luck, it only wanted to be replicated as a kind of deliberate attempt to create a meme, like a viral marketing campaign with no actual product. Are chain letters inherently bad? --Victim Of Fate 10:32, 3 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If nothing else it wasted paper, postage and time. I suppose one possible example of a "good" chain letter might be Samizdat publication, but "good" is inherently POV - I'm sure Soviet officials didn't consider it so. :) Bryan 00:23, 4 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I spent hours copying and sending chain letters that promised real rewards, i.e. Little Golden Books, recipes, postage stamps from around the world, quilt squares. You sent the item to the first person on the list and added your name to the bottom. I never got a single thing back, but somebody got the things I sent them - so you could say some good came of them. Chocklit 23:43, 5 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What good came to them, other than free toilet paper? --Mista-X 23:08, 2 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

examples....

Should we include some examples?
I get plenty of these I could donate :) 70.59.187.173 00:00, 5 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

no.Dunc|☺ 00:22, 5 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, perhaps you could put some on Sourceberg? I wonder what sort of licence a chain letter would be considered to be under, since the letter grants permission to freely copy it. :) Bryan 00:25, 4 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, the dreaded afflictions of the chain letter....

examples of the longest lasting, or forwarded by the most people, would be good. Saccerzd 16:33, 15 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nice examples would be the ones from the series with include the Baklaliviatatlaglooshenian boy... That's just so sad.. =( lol 200.230.213.152 02:54, 18 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Memes and human hosts

A chain letter can be considered a type of meme, a self-replicating piece of information that uses a human host to distribute copies of itself.

The present language of this article carries certain assumptions that may not be widely held. Perhaps they are good assumptions, but it would be nice to distance the article from them. Eric 08:27, 23 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Amy Bruce chain letter hoax

Hey, I was wondering if this was something good to write an article about. I`ve heard about this infamous chain letter hoax that started back in the 1990`s.

The letter talked about a 7 year-old girl named Amy Bruce who said she was dying from lung cancer(from "second hand smoke") and a brain tumor(from "repeated beatings"). She said every time her letter was forwarded, the Make-A-wish foundation would donate 7 cents to her cause because her parents couldn`nt pay her hospital bills.

Of course, the whole letter was a hoax. But I thought it was intresting. I was wondering if i could... ummm... write an article about it. I first had some doubts about asking since Amy does`nt exist and the whole thing is a hoax. Please tell me what you think. 67.33.252.42 22:04, 11 March 2006 (UTC)4.153.2.35 5:02 10, march 2006[reply]

It would be best to mention it in this article first. Then, if there is enough information, a separate article yea one time after dark alex hale was walking and he heard his name 5 times then that was the eand ==YouTube==

Chain posts have been popping up all over YouTube lately. Just look around. World Challenge 01:23, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, here's a good example:

In 1945,a young girl named katu lata kulu came over to America in a grey boat from Africa. A mysterious man killed her by cutting the word "LATUALATUKA" into her back. now that you have read this measge she will come to your house on a full moon and steal your soul unless you follow these directions: 1. Retype this message as a comment for three other videos

It also appears on Bebo.com. Dessydes 01:57, 4 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's also a similar story about a ghost coming out of a mirror and killing you. I hate those friggin' chain e-mails!

Yeah, me too. Here's another one:

PLEASE DON'T READ THIS. You will get kissed on the nearest possible Friday by the love of your life. Tomorrow will be the best day of your life. However, if you don't post this comment to at least 3 videos, you will die within 2 days. Copy and paste this, to be saved

Dessydes 15:25, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

More YouTube

I f*cking hate those chain letters on YouTube, pisses me off everytime i see one. Like this one: 'this is a true thing that can happen! its not a chain letter! its kinda scary at first but it really works!! paste this message into 3 comments and press ATL F4 and your crushes name will appear on your screan!!! is so weird this is a true thing that can happen! its not a chain letter! its kinda scary at first but it really works!! paste this message into 3 comments and press ATL F4 and your crushes name will appear on your screan!!! is so weird'

Retards. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.132.49.27 (talk • contribs) 19:25, March 23, 2007 (UTC)

LOL. The very act of instructing them to copy it off to others qualifies it a chain letter, hilarious that they deny it. --Stratadrake 04:00, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

'Now uv started readin dis dunt stop. This is so scary. Send this to 5 ova videos in 143 minutes. When ur done press F6 and ur crushes name will appear on the screen in big letters. This is scary cause it actually works. If u break the chain u will have problems with relations p.s for the next five years x-x-x '. Never fails to amuse. Is there a name for this kind of chain mail? --86.152.105.70 22:16, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah. its called "chav mail". --Coolspanner 19:55, 30 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

More of this

I found this teddy crap on Newgrounds first.

Hi, I am Teddy. Once you read this youkill you. Don't believe me? Case 1: Patty Buckles WAIT IM JENNIFER IF UR READIND THIS UR STUPID IT AINT REAL GOD IS ND HE IS COMING BACK GET READY get saved b4 its to late!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got this e-mail. She doesn't believe in chain letters. Well, Foolish Patty. She was sleeping when her TV started flickering on and off. Now she's not with us anymore. Ha ha patty, Ha ha! You don't want to be like Patty, do you? Case 2: George M. Simon Hates chain mail, but he didn't want to die that night. He sent it to 4 people. Not good enough George. Now, George is in a coma, we don't know if he'll ever wake up. Ha ha George, Ha ha! Now, do you want to be like George? Case 3: Valarie Tyler She got this letter. Another chain letter she thought. Only had 7 people to send to. Well, That night when she was having a shower she saw bloody Mary in the mirror. It was the BIGGEST fright of her life. Valarie is scarred for life. Case 4: Derek Minse This is the final case I'll tell you about. Well, Derek was a smart person. He sent it to 12 people. Later that day, he found a $100.00 bill on the ground. He was premoted to head officer at his job and his girlfriend said yes to his purposal. Now, Katie and him are living happily ever after.The have 2 beautiful children. Send this to at least 12 people or you'll face the consequences. 0 people- You will die tonight 1-6 people- you will be injured 7-11 people- you will get the biggest fright of your life 12 and over- you are safe and will have good fortune!

Not only that one but it is on the entire internet!!!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hi%2C+I+am+Teddy.+Once+you+read+this+you&btnG=Search

--203.81.161.151 17:18, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here's some short crap that I also found on YouTube: If you don't repost this 3 times, a penguin will come to your house and pee on your sofa. WTF????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.188.19.16 (talk) 21:38, 11 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Viral

There should be someplace where they define this as viral, but I'm not sure where. AkvoD3 16:48, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Legality?

I remember hearing that chain letters are illegal in Germany? Anybody know more about this? It needn't be forbidden by law, post regulations would suffice. -- 62.143.101.71 (talk) 17:19, 11 December 2007 (UTC) hi this has nothing to do with this letter but im telling u the world is gona end GOD iscoming back and he is taking his people .and the devil is taking his who arent save so hes comin back soon so be ready go to ur near by church DONT LET IT BE CATHOHOLIC BE CHRISTIAN HE CAN HEAL UR PAIN GIVE HIM A CHANCE TRUST ME U WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN OR U WILL BE GOIN TO A HOT PLACE LOVE U ND GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.174.249.100 (talk) 22:20, 3 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Age

I recall reading that these letters were common after the first world war - letters purporting to have been started by a soldier in the trenches.There was a sort of superstition that it was bad luck to break it. Fainites ^barley 22:50, 3 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Meme Again

Memes are bullshit - the term "meme" is neologism equipped with lots of new vocabulary but no new ideas. I removed this bullshit. Those who defend "memes" are worthless idiots deserving of scorn. They are opportunist of last years' intellectual prostitution. Out with them. And "viral phenomenon"? Pu-lease! Let's keep the tone encyclopedic folks, at least on the encyclopedia page. It is true that there have chain letter without religious overtones or threats - perhaps these could be described without Robert-Anton-Wilson-tardation.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 GOD IS COMIN BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Really Happened To Carmen Winstead

Carmen Winstead-The Things People Believe Some people believe Carmen was pushed in a drain, some people think she was choped up by her mother, well ill tell you the story to both-

  At a school fire drill 5 girls wanted to embaress Carmen, they thought pushing her down a open sewer would do perfect.When  she didnt submerge, the police were called, they said that Carmen fell, everybody believed them. They went to retrive the body, when they got the body up, the neck was broken from hitting the ladder, and concrete.
 Six months later David Gregory Read this post, but thought it was a myth that she will kill you if you dont repost, so he didnt. That night he was in the shower and he heard laughter from his drain, he was spooked, so he ran to his computer to repost this. He went to bed perfect that night. 5 hours later his mother was awakend to a loud noise, to find David was gone. That morning, a few hours later, the police found his body in a near by sewer. Has neck was broken and the skin on his face was peeled off.

 The other story is - Carmen was fighting with her mom over cuerfue, and she threw a punch, her mother blocked the punch and punched her back, hard enough to knock her out, when she fell, her neck was broken from hitting the dinning room chair. Her mother cut her up into little peices and flushed her down the toilet. And she was discoverd in the sewer the next day.

Six months later David Gregory Read this post, but thought it was a myth that she will kill you if you dont repost, so he didnt. That night he was in the shower and he heard laughter from his drain, he was spooked, so he ran to his computer to repost this. He went to bed perfect that night. 5 hours later his mother was awakend to a loud noise, to find David was gone. That morning, a few hours later, the police found his body in a near by sewer. Has neck was broken and the skin on his face was peeled off.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.130.65.125 (talk) 07:29, 14 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]