# Snopes at Work **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377 "2003-12-16T19:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/1 "2003-12-16T19:45:59Z")
Currently, I’m printing out a Christmas mailing for the people who advertise with us. It contains the [Candy Cane](http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/candycane.asp) origin urban legend. I’m Wiccan, so it’s not like I’m tyring to be pushy about my religion. And I know full well it’s an urban legend. But I figure about 95% of the customers will love it. The other 5% will either ignore it or enjoy the free candy cane that we’re sending with it. Also, I don’t really want to get into it with my boss, since Friday is my last day. Anyone else temporarily resign the fight against ignorance? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/2 "2003-12-16T22:08:24Z")
Occasionally I do. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy. I’d probably tell him but I can understand why you wouldn’t in this case. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/3 "2003-12-16T22:35:41Z")
I’m too obnoxious to quit. And I think this is exactly the kind of thing I’d get into a tiff with my boss over if my last day was three days away. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/4 "2003-12-16T22:46:02Z")
Every single time somebody forwards one of those stupid, stupid hoax emails, I immediately follow it up with a Snopes link. I think I’m making headway; recently someone forwarded a hoax JUST to me instead of the entire company and asked whether it was true. I debunked it and saved the email server the effort. My struggle for truth and the death of glurge is eternal. Fight the good fight, **Angel of the Lord**! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/5 "2003-12-17T00:28:49Z")
Is this a newsletter you’re printing, or something like it? Can you insert in italic four-point text at the bottom, a little byline-type thing that says “more info: \”? So you’re not saying “this shit is false,” but anybody who wants to go look will find out. It’s not sabotage if it’s in a good cause, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/6 "2003-12-17T02:19:28Z")
I’ve given up trying to educate the people I work with concering all those forwarded emails. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/7 "2003-12-17T02:41:16Z")
It’s a single letter mailing. Kind of a “Merry Christmas” card to the customers. Except with candy. She’s passed this stuff on me before. Usually I tell her about Snopes. But sometimes it just isn’t worth it. I was looking for other people’s amusing stories, though… ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/8 "2003-12-17T02:44:16Z")
Why not just send out the entire Snopes article, and put at the bottom: “whatever the origin, we’re thinking of you during the holidays.” Or is that too heavy-handed? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/9 "2003-12-17T03:04:41Z")
I’ve become famous for following up with a Snopes link. The worst offender now sends stuff to everyone but me. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/10 "2003-12-17T03:50:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\* The worst offender now sends stuff to everyone but me. \*\* That’s interesting. Do they want to believe this junk, or is it just no fun to have it debunked? ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sota\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sota\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sota_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/11 "2003-12-17T04:45:00Z")
I used to be one of the less intelligent ones forwarding the e-mails, until someone sent me a link to Snopes. Now I’m the one fighting the ignorance. When someone sends an e-mail like that to me, I do a “reply all” with a link, even if I don’t know anyone on the list other than the sender. Most of my friends actually didn’t mind me doing that. Some did as **cbawlmer** mentioned above, and send the stuff to me for debunking first (even though I’ve given them the link to Snopes a hundred or more times and explained how easy it is to use…) ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/12 "2003-12-17T06:00:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord \* > \*\*Anyone else temporarily resign the fight against ignorance? \*\* Does your workplace have a policy against debunking urban legends? If so, then yes, I’d temporarily resign the fight against ignorance, as much as it pains me to say that. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/13 "2003-12-17T13:05:08Z")
**cnp** I think both. They do believe and they react to the news that Bill Gates is not giving away free trips to Disneyworld like a 8-year old beliver being told there isn’t a Santa. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/14 "2003-12-17T13:30:28Z")
I will pass along stories like the\*\* Diver in the Tree\*\* and the **JATO Car** actively because I happen to think they’re great jokes; sometimes I’ll add a disclaimer that it was a UL. If it’s something glurgey, like the candy bit, it usually heads off to the Bit Bucket In The Sky unforwarded. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/15 "2003-12-17T13:45:03Z")
I’ve had a couple of opportunities to inform someone that their e-mail is a UL. I don’t want all the women in the office to be afraid of being chloroformed by someone offering them a perfume sample, and I think it’s about time for the “Craig Shergold is dying of a brain tumor and needs your business card” thing to go away for good. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/16 "2003-12-17T14:17:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*like a 8-year old beliver being told there isn’t a Santa. \*\* _ **WHAT???** _ ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-at-work/219377/17 "2003-12-17T14:34:01Z")
I always inform people if what they’ve sent me is a UL. But I don’t reply to all - I give the person the benefit of a doubt and try not to embarress them in front of everyone. If they do it again, then I’ll reply to all. As to the OP, I wouldn’t send out that UL on the mailing letter. You’d be propagating ignorance! You’d be spreading misinformation! I don’t care if it’s “fun”, it’s false. I’d try to find some other fun christmas fact. How about including [the story of the origin of christmas cards](http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmascard.asp). Or perhaps a fun list of christmas traditions in other countries?