Shanktified!

The personal thoughts, opinions and typos of Ron Shank

MSN is closing down (hoax)

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This is quite possibly the most poorly written hoax/chain letter I’ve personally ever seen. Yet, it’s still popular. Shocking.

Hey it is Andy and john the directors of MSN, sorry for the interruption but msn is closing down. this is because too many inconsiderate people are taking up all the name (eg making up lots of different accounts for just one person), we only have 578 names left. If you would like to close your account, DO NOT SEND THIS MESSAGE ON. If you would like to keep your account, then SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST. This is no joke, we will be shutting down the servers. Send it on, thanks.
WHO EVER DOES NOT SEND THIS MESSEAGE, YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED AND YOU WILL COST £10.00 A MONTH TO USE. SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST. NOW YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS or REPLAY. COPY THE WHOLE EMAIL. GO BACK TO YOUR INBOX AND CLICK ON NEW. AND PASTE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Source: Sophos

Cell Number Goes Public (hoax)

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Emails about telemarketing companies calling your cell phone and using up your free minutes are false (see below).

However, I personally hope it is true and that more telemarketers would call. It’s a great witnessing opportunity.

Despite dire warnings about the imminent release of cell phone numbers to telemarketers that continue to be circulated via e-mail year after year, no such thing is about to occur, nor do cell phone users have to register their cell phone numbers with the national Do Not Call registry before a soon-to-pass deadline to head off an onslaught of telemarketing calls. The panic-inducing e-mails (which circulate especially widely every January, since many versions of the warning list the end of that month as a cut-off date for registering cell phone numbers with the national Do Not Call registry) have grown out of a misunderstanding about the proposed creation of a wireless directory assistance service.

Cell phone numbers have generally been excluded from printed telephone books and directory assistance services. However, since the use of cell phones has burgeoned in recent years (to the point that many people no longer maintain landline phone service), several national wireless companies (AllTel, AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS, and T-Mobile) have banded together and hired Qsent, Inc. to produce a Wireless 411 service. Their goal is to pool their listings to create a comprehensive directory of cell phone customer names and phone numbers that would be made available to directory assistance providers.

Read more at  Snopes or The National Do Not Call Registry (scroll down to Q #10).

Hotmail hoax

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You will get nothing for forwarding emails, except upset friends. 🙂

Surprisingly, this one and others like it are still listed among the top hoaxes being forwarded around the net. There are several variants, but the idea is the same. It is very similar to the Dear YAHOO User chain letter.

This first appeared around November 2003. The hoax claims that people who forwarded it to enough people would receive more functionality. Here’s a sample:

Hotmail is offering active users the new Extra Storage block & contact feature!

Ever wanted to know if you have been blocked? With the new block & contact feature available for MSN Messenger you will now be able to have up to 500 contacts on your list, and be able to see who is blocking you! Extra Storage downloads are now offering you the download FOR FREE! Read down to learn how to get this, quickly and easily!

Extra Storage features don’t stop there!

No, Extra Storage feature doesn’t just mean new special block & contact features. You will now be able to create new accounts with a single click and run as many MSN Messengers as you want (use different accounts at once)!

Get Extra Storage

It’s easy. Everyone with an hotmail.com or msn.com account can get these upgrades FOR FREE!

Send this email to 5 people for the free Block feature!

Send this email to 10 people for both the Block feature and contact list extender (500 contacts)!

Send this email to 15 people for the Block feature, Contact extender, Account maker AND multi MSN!

If you do this you will receive a pop up message from our admin giving you the upgrade for MSN Messenger!

Important
If you receive this or a similar message, please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unsolicited chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.