The Ethics of Forwarding E-Mail

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I want to bring up a subject that has bothered me for some time.

In this day of our modern "push button....send and/or forward" e-mail society, it is increasingly easy to cause problems and dissension when it all could have been avoided if we would have kept our finger off the button.

I think we need to be extremly cautious about forwarding e-mail...especially when we do not have expressed consent to do so.

Case in point: I was once asked an honest question by an individual via e-mail. I answered that individual, openly and honestly to the best of my ability. It was a conversation between he and I.

That individual then took it upon themselves, without my knowledge or consent ahead of time, to forward it to someone else.

What is worse, is that individual then took it upon themselves, without my knowledge or consent ahead of time to forward it to others.

That forwarded e-mail then became the source of contention and problems which to this day has not been resolved (despite my best efforts).

It is very simple....ethically speaking.....we do not have the right to forward any e-mail, especially of a personal content without the express permission of the individual to do so.

With one push of a button we make be a cause of dissension in the Kingdom and I think we are aware of how God feels about those who cause dissension.

Think about that the next time your finger is poised at the button.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 1999

Answers

AMEN!

We all need to think before we speak and e-mail!

-- Anonymous, December 16, 1999


Danny, I think you answered your own question. May just lead to another thread.... Just what rights do Christians have? I know what the constitution of the U.S. of A. says, but is there such a thing as "personal" rights to a Christian.

Now, before the knee jerks begin, may I add,,,,,, that I am speaking of those "quote" rights "unquote" that stem from selfish ambition and such.....

Consider just what rights do you have? Dave

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999


Might I also add that we need to stop forwarding hoaxes, urban legends and chain/junk email. We have become such a reactionary society that everything that sounds even remotely true we spread as truth and thus find ourselves to be gossipmongers. I field at least half a dozen emails a week from sincere but misguided Christians passing on useless garbage, such as the "Janet Reno calling all Christians cultists," "Proctor and Gamble gives all their money to Satanism," "The FCC taking away Christian broadcasting privileges" and similar nonsense. The best way to combat this sort of thing, besides getting help for CFD (Compulsive Forwarding Disorder), is to educate yourself and others, and the best place I have found to get educated on email hoaxes is at http://urbanlegends.about.com.

-- Anonymous, December 29, 1999

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