-Geoff
🎉 Celebrating 25 Years of GameDev.net! 🎉
Not many can claim 25 years on the Internet! Join us in celebrating this milestone. Learn more about our history, and thank you for being a part of our community!
Internet Stupidity
I wonder if people said the same things when the printing press was created and anyone could get a book distributed if they have money to pay for it, instead of books only being reproduced if monks thought they were worthy enough to transcribe...
Author
That's a really valid point and I was probably being on the rather vicious side but I was venting and my apologies if I sort of sounding like a jerk :-).
it's true, there are tons of idiots out there that believe anything on the net. does "you are the 100,000th visitor to our site, click here for your password" ring a bell?
Blow me.
and this stupid alladvantage.com stuff too, i dont care if it does or doesn't work (the fact that you get paid), it's a 100% exploitation of people's blatant stupidity. I wouldn't sign up even if I was up to here in debt and they paid me $9,999,999 (well ok maybe 
). On that topic, is there any proof that people actually get paid for referring people and whatnot?
I think ICQ contributed a lot to the ease of spreading mass messages, spam, empty threats, you name it. It even has a "mass message" feature, jeez!
quote:
If you forward this to 100 of your friends, they'll email you ICQ 2000
Blow me.
P.S. I feel better now.
Well, I get money from Alladvantage.com
I also referred a buncha people too,
and I do get a cheque in the mail
I also referred a buncha people too,
and I do get a cheque in the mail
Im not stupid, and Im not an idiot.
Ive only been using the internet for around 4.5 years, but even I ain't dumb enough to believe the old '100th visitor' or 'foward this email blah'
But yeah, I guess there are a lotta fools around using it.
example:
there was a computer on the top of a mountain from which you could send people 'postcards' one person using it obviously didn't understand the concept of an e-mail address because they just put in the person's name.
I mean how the heck is the right 'DAVE' supposed to be found?
Dear oh dear....
Take it easy, no offence to anyone.
-Mezz
It's very true that many people are having a hard time getting up to speed on the internet. Granted many are not the brightest... but you have to take into consideration that half the population is below average intelligence... *grin*
I remember introducing my mother to the concept of e-mail and the internet in general when she came to visit me at the start of my freshman year in college. She asked me where to get an "e-mail postage stamp" for the letter I let her write to her sister who had e-mail. She asked me a couple hours after sending the letter if I thought it would get there tomorrow, or if it would take a few days. She was awed when I got a shell talk request from a friend of mine while I was showing her around, because she thought my friend was the computer talking to me. Now, about 5 years later, she's a seasoned veteran of the net... it just took some time and some experience.
I get annoyed too when I get spammed about offers and viruses and stuff... icq is terrible about it. I've found that the easiest way to stop bogus virus spam coming your direction is to look up the virus hoax synopsis at the McAffee site and send the URL to the person who sent me the e-mail, and suggest that they check all future messages about viruses against the McAffee hoax database. You would be amazed how many people listen... and then send the same thing up the chain to whoever was sending them the e-mails. I haven't had a virus hoax e-mailed or icq'd to me in about 3 months now... (note: this is NOT an invitation to jokingly e-mail or icq me hoax messages, anyone reading this should know better, and I will have to hurt you.)
With spam or chain letters I just ask the person nicely to stop sending them to me, and if they don't listen after a couple of warnings, there's always the lovely "ignore" feature.
Whether we like it or not, new people are constantly going to be "invading" the internet and thinking up random junk to send people... so help them learn the correct ways of doing things so as to lower the risk of spam-related violence in your community. *grin*
-fel
I can definitely sympathize with Sieggy frustration over stupid internet users. I used to take fel's approach and try to educate the people who sent me hoax e-mails, but after several of them got MAD at me for doing so (including my brother, who has a Masters in Engineering and makes rockets for a living), I decided to just ignore them entirely.
I don't think the problem is that people in general are stupid, I think the problem is that it's sheep we're up against. People need to learn to think for themselves more.
I've never resorted to violence over spam, but I do threaten when an ICQ mass message comes my way (not for the last couple months though):
"If you want to talk to me EVER again, never send me a mass message that has anything to do with: free money (no such thing), new software, viruses, chain letters, etc. (use your imagination to extend that list)"
It has always worked. Now if only I can find a way to get that 50% of people who are below average intelligence to be above average intelligence.... then no one will be dumb 
hehe
- Splat
I agree with everything in Seiggy's first post. Someone go squat on antistupidity.com and start up a site, I'll donate money.
foofightr: Most of them do send out a cheque, and if I'm just reading crap online or something not too intense, why not have one of their stupid windows open? It almost reimburses you for your ISP bill... not to mention the referral money too. I agree that ICQ spread a lot of that crap; that's why I only keep at the most 10 people on my list. What do I need all my friend's friends and their friends too for? The only thing they'd ever send me (since they barely know who I am) is spam. Authorize NO ONE!
felisandria: That's what I started doing too. It worked for a few people, but others actually got pissed off and told me "I was ruining their fun." (Yeah, look at all that fun there, buddy. Anyhow. I wish I could ignore those people, but they're my dad's clients so that wouldn't go over so well.) I hope I won't have to resort to Splat's idea. Oh well.
------------------
Lack
yick.... dumbasses!.....
I hate stupid people, I really do. Nothing can piss me off more that someone who makes an utter fool of themselves.... I take that back, one thing pisses me off more than that; It's people who are in power and are incredibly stupid.
My latest gripe along this line is the patenting of "Intellectual Property" and some really insane copyright laws.
The latest of which being the injunction against etoy.com (Slashdot Post: http://slashdot.org/yro/99/12/01/2156208.shtml ).
I got so pissed when Boeing patented the Y2K bugfix of using dates before '70 as 20XX and dates after '70 as 19XX. What the hell's up with that shit?!?
Also, according to Slashdot.org, there is new legislation in Australia that says the ASIO (similar to US CIA) now can "remotely tap into and alter data on any Australian's computer" ( http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=99/11/26/1051236&mode=thread ).
Oh, and were you aware that it is a violation of copyright laws to modify commercial software on your own computer? That is such bullshit! It'll be a cold day in a really warm place when I feel that I cannot modify any bit of binary code that runs on my computer!
I can understand that some computer laws have came to pass due to lack of understanding (or a nice payoff). People in a position to make such decisions should be better qualified to do so.
Also, just a note for patent office guys. Patents are supposed to be DENIED if it is recognized as common practice to someone in the field.... but as long as we're disregarding that, I think I'll go patent using the mouse as a game controller, or maybe I'll go patent breathing as a unique method of retrieving oxygen from the atmosphere.
All that said, I think that some institution should be charged with making certificates of intelligence. I think that it would be a good thing for everyone to have a certificate declaring their level of genius. or whatever... mebbie a bad idea, could be another way for people to be exploited.
Now, I'm gonna go out into the world and smack a dumbass. Take care.
-Erik L. Elmore
What really bothers me is not just SPAM and such, but how much the internet has turned into a safe-haven for stupid people to organize and allow there collective stupidity to build up . That said though, I don't think that people who forward spam are stupid, mostly just gullible. When people first start using the internet they sort of turn off there brains for a while.
. That said though, I don't think that people who forward spam are stupid, mostly just gullible. When people first start using the internet they sort of turn off there brains for a while.If the spammers are becoming really annoying email them (assuming you know this person) and tell them to stop. If they still dont listen just ignore the spam. Also, get a second email account (like a hotmail one) and give that one to people you hardly know. If a person starts to spam you it's not a huge problem because you only gave them your unimportant second email adress. Your normal one is still intact.
--TheGoop
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
