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First Name Survey Chain Letter

Netlore Archive: Email chain letter purports to be a 'survey' of first names initiated by a teacher on behalf of her daughter, but it's really just more one more piece of junk clogging our inboxes

Description: Email chain letter
Circulating since: May 2003
Status: Junk


Email example contributed by Nugget, 23 May 2003:

One of our teachers is doing this survey for her daughter. DON'T ASK - JUST PLAY!

Copy and paste this letter into a new email (PLEASE do NOT hit Forward). Then read the list of names. If your name is on the list, put a star * next to it. If not, then add your name (in alphabetical order, put no star). Send it to ten people and send it back to the person who sent it to you. Put your name in the subject box! You'll see what happens to you...... its kind of cool! Please keep this going.

Don't mess it up!

Aaron*
Abigail
Adam****
Adria
Adrienne
Alanna*
Ann
Alex *****
Alexis*
Alice***
(etc.)


Comments: This so-called "survey" resembles the various Geography class project chain letters we've seen in the past, although judging from its execution it was not conceived by a teacher, nor is it in any sense a legitimate survey given that the results are not returned to a central location for evaluation.

Some variants may appear to have been signed by actual teachers, but said signatures are latter-day additions to the messages. They don't appear on the earliest versions found circulating in May 2003 and in no sense authenticate the "survey."

Some may find the lists of names (see full text examples) interesting because they provide a snapshot -- of a limited and unreliable sort, to be sure -- of popular first names in America, but most will justifiably see it as another pointless chain letter clogging up our inboxes like so much spam.

Recommendation: just delete it.


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Of related interest:

'Class Project' Chain Letters
Actual examples of chain letters initiated by teachers as "class projects"

Varieties of Netlore: Chain Email
All about chain letters, from snail mail to email


Last updated: 10/24/03


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The Urban Legends Top 25

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