--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Spreading fear through chain letters (such and such > a pin was found in a theater and someone got AIDS > through it) -- unless these claims are > substantiated through evidence --- should not > just be banned, but those who post such posts should > be held liable for any damages caused. > Mario replies: Hey, Samir. Before you go any further, please check out the definition of a chain letter.
This is not a plea to accept falsehoods, which must always be exposed, just a plea to differentiate between the dangerous ones and those that seek to warn or inspire. I think the fear of an infected needle in a public place is a good thing in this day and age, and who would you hold liable if someone contracts an infection from such a possibility, or requires months of monitoring to verify that they have not been infected? Are you going to argue after the fact that someone told you that the probability of infection was slim to none? I am urging some use of common sense, which has been shelved during much of this discussion. Regardless of how fastidious you are about the truth, these things have varying consequences, and I think it makes sense to get less agitated about a message that inspires people or asks them to be careful - for example, of needles left in public places, whether infected or not - and messages asking to spread falsehoods in an endless chain, and asking people for money.
