| Bill Gates Has $1,000 (and a Virus) Just for You! | |
| Netlore Archive | |
Updated: 08/30/98
Publicity surrounding antitrust actions against Microsoft has revived some of 1997's sillier examples of Net apocrypha concerning the company's illustrious founder, Bill Gates.
One specimen takes the form of a bizarre treatise using some very sketchy numerological analysis and a convenient misreading of the Book of Revelation to "prove" that Bill Gates is the Antichrist.
Another takes the form of a chain letter supposedly written by Gates himself in which he promises to reward everyone who helps him test Microsoft's new "email tracking application" with free software and money out of his own pocket.
'Your Friend, Bill Gates'
The email tracking hoax first surfaced last November. The earliest version was brief, personable, to the point...
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Subject: FW: Must Read!!!! Bill Gates (fwd) Hello everybody, My name is Bill Gates. I have just written up an e-mail tracing program that traces everyone to whom this message is forwarded to. I am experimenting with this and I need your help. Forward this to everyone you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list will receive $1000 at my expense. Enjoy. Your friend,
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...and implausible from top to bottom. Consider the following:
- Bill Gates is the CEO of a huge corporation; he does not write software.
- Microsoft has every facility necessary for testing new software. Bill Gates does not need nor would he desire to spend a million dollars out of his own pocket to do so.
- No such software exists. No such capacity as "email tracing" (or "email tracking") exists, at least not as described above.
- The forwarded message would have easily surpassed its target of 1,000 recipients within a day or two of its launch.
In spite of the fact that a moment's reflection should have sufficed to make any intelligent reader skeptical, the first installment of the $1,000 chain letter achieved a robust circulation.
Why?
A technophobic friend of mine espouses the theory that using computers "just makes people stupid."
That's as good an explanation as any, I suppose, but my personal conviction is that human nature is to blame. Gullibility isn't unique to computer users; it's a universal human trait. Any time it seems we can get something for nothing — especially money — rational thought goes out the window.
'I'm Sending It Just in Case...'
I offer the following in evidence: a sampling of personal remarks appended to early versions of the chain letter by random recipients...
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You have got to read this all the way through!!! Who knows this might just come true!!!!
I have ab-so-smurfly no clue as to if this is a farce or not, but believe in it or not, the prospect of an extra grand is enticing. Dave, you are not allowed to make Bill Gates jokes in case this is real. I don't think this is really true, but I could certainly use $1000, so I'm sending it just in case.... I erased the longest list of forwards that have ever preceeded an e-mail from this particular message. It can make the rounds, it will make the rounds, if you just pitch in and send it on. Please! I don't know about you, but I could use $1000!! |
Well, couldn't we all!
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