Friday, April 30, 2010
But the email said . . .
I am constantly amazed by the number of people who bring me copies of emails that they have gotten or been forwarded to them. These emails are usually warning of grave hazards in everyday things or that a new miracle has been found to solve all of their health care or weight woes.
Email is considered by many to have as much validity as our parents and grandparents gave the written word. It has gotten to a point where certain emails develop wide followings and have a cult like following. They have people believing that radio waves can be transmitted over a cell phone to open a car door, that magnets will cure arthritis, that diet drinks are akin to embalming fluid and so many more as to be to be overwhelming. The way a good email following is usually obtained is by starting with an, at least, partially true statement, expanding on all of the potential positive or negative aspects of this statement thus blowing it out of proportion, either finding someone with a title or reputation to have quoted something about it (making this up often helps), make it look real by adding a partially true tale to demonstrate the point and then sending it to thousands of the writers nearest friends (usually anonymously). Sometimes they are created by cultists spreading the word, sometimes for the pure enjoyment of watching them spread across the globe until it obtains urban myth stature, and frequently as a way to promote products.
I had a patient in recently, a very nice and sincere guy who wanted to lose some weight. He was like many of us and had several bad habits such as smoking and somewhat excessive drinking. However, his biggest concern was that diet drinks would kill him so he could not give up his regular sodas (no water did not seem to be an acceptable option either because of an email his mom sent him about fluoride). He did not see how silly this sounded. The point is that this new way of spreading news is not one that should be trusted or relied upon.
A few things to consider when reading anything from any source but especially the internet.
Ok now you have my opinion.
John
Email is considered by many to have as much validity as our parents and grandparents gave the written word. It has gotten to a point where certain emails develop wide followings and have a cult like following. They have people believing that radio waves can be transmitted over a cell phone to open a car door, that magnets will cure arthritis, that diet drinks are akin to embalming fluid and so many more as to be to be overwhelming. The way a good email following is usually obtained is by starting with an, at least, partially true statement, expanding on all of the potential positive or negative aspects of this statement thus blowing it out of proportion, either finding someone with a title or reputation to have quoted something about it (making this up often helps), make it look real by adding a partially true tale to demonstrate the point and then sending it to thousands of the writers nearest friends (usually anonymously). Sometimes they are created by cultists spreading the word, sometimes for the pure enjoyment of watching them spread across the globe until it obtains urban myth stature, and frequently as a way to promote products.
I had a patient in recently, a very nice and sincere guy who wanted to lose some weight. He was like many of us and had several bad habits such as smoking and somewhat excessive drinking. However, his biggest concern was that diet drinks would kill him so he could not give up his regular sodas (no water did not seem to be an acceptable option either because of an email his mom sent him about fluoride). He did not see how silly this sounded. The point is that this new way of spreading news is not one that should be trusted or relied upon.
A few things to consider when reading anything from any source but especially the internet.
- You really do not know who wrote the information. It is unlikely that this is the way that major breakthroughs or warnings are spread.
- If it talks about a conspiracy or something the government does not want you to know then watch your wallet because this is a great way to peak your interest and possibly get you to spend for something that does not work or you do not need.
- If the argument is based only on one case history or anecdotes then the odds of it being valid should be highly suspect. The placebo effect is powerful enough to create many of their claims without there being anything of real value in the information.
- If it sounds too good to be true or so bad as to be unthinkable then do not think about it anymore.
- PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD IT! Especially to me.
Ok now you have my opinion.
John
My New Site is Up!
Ok not really a great thing for most of you but a good day for me. Finally after working on it for weeks and making my wife very unhappy with me for spending to much time in front of the "one eyed daemon" it is running at The Carolina Weigh. It is far from finished but I think it is a decent start.
John
John
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