From: Paul Wakfer (70023.3041@CompuServe.COM)
Date: Tue Dec 17 1996 - 23:21:09 MST
I came into this late because I just returned from the A4M meeting in Las
Vegas, so I may have missed this having already discussed. Like Kennita, I have
always found chain letters to be very distasteful and have been very scornful
of anyone who propagates them. However, upon reflection, I don't see anything
wrong with chain letters so long as they aren't related to some pyramid-type or
other zero-sum money making scheme. After all, are they not just a kind of
formalized and very direct method of propagation of memes? In that sense, how
do they really differ from the normal mouth-to-mouth, person-to-person
propagation of any ideas which we all are quite happy with? Only for the money-
making, get rich not by producing any value but by relying on the gullibility
of others meme, do I consider them to be "wrong". In fact, I would assume that
the very ones Sean finds interesting to study must have *some* valid or
persuasive meme or they wouldn't be working. Of course, it is true that such a
meme may only have value in appealing to, and resonating with the negative
qualities of individuals. Certainly, I agree that I have never seen a chain
letter that I have wanted to propagate, and I have never used such a method to
propagate any memes which I originated.
Just thought about the possibilities and came up with the following idea.
How about *using* the chain letter approach to reward people for propagating an
important idea or other piece of information which we find highly valuable to
spread (say, my Prometheus Project information). It would work this way. I
start the letter which contains the information which I which to propagate and
at the bottom states, that if you cross off the first name on the list, add
your own to the bottom, and send me the name that was at the top of the list. I
will pay that person (say between $0.50 and $1.00) for each time that I receive
his name. Apart from the fact that most people (especially the ones that I
would want to attract) are *so* against chain letters that they would not even
begin to read it (unless they don't realize until the end that it is a chain
letter), what do readers think of this idea?
-- Paul --
Paul Wakfer
email:70023.3041@compuserve.com phone:909-481-9620 pager:800-805-2870
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