Having another "talk" with the girls

[elfs]

So, Omaha and I had to have "a talk" with the girls. They've recently discovered something new and fun to do, and they don't seem to appreciate the dangers of their new activity, or the frustration what they're doing can cause the adults.

They've started forwarding email chain letters full of jokes around.

So we sat down and had a long talk about how to use email. When to forward stuff, if ever. When to open attachments (basically, never). And how to chop down email to the bare essentials, like a meaningful subject line (Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: This Is Cool!!!!!! is not a meaningful subject line). Line after line after line of referral crud is not helpful material. And really, the grownups are drowning in email. If one of the kids wants to tell us a joke, she can come tell us a joke.

I'm tempted to impose the XKCD penalty on any emails they send out.

Comments

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

Bless you. This should be part of every 2nd-grader's curriculum.

[dossy.livejournal.com]

"Back in my day, if some n00b posted crap like this to (ab)usenet, someone would auto-forge cancellation articles any time they posted. You're lucky, kids today only use email and MySpace ..."

:-)

I pre-screen all email my daughter receives. I'm not so paranoid about what she sends - that, I let go unscreened. (I might change that, but for now, I'm okay with it.)

Yes, I'm the Daddy spam filter, but I'm okay with that. Overprotective? Maybe. But, I'd rather her not see most of the crap that gets sent around.

[nbarnes.livejournal.com]

It's the duty of any parent to teach their children manners. It's good to see you taking that seriously. Do you also keep them from using 'u' when they mean 'you'?

Once again..

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

I am proud to know you and Omaha. You two are outstanding parents, doing a fabulous job of childrearing. That "talk" may have seemed like a little thing, but netiquette means a lot to me. Now, if only I could find someone to teach my sister's 65-year-old friends and some of my own intractable contemporaries to be as considerate, I'd be really happy.

[rand0m1.livejournal.com]

Would you two consider having similar talks with the older generation of my family? ;)

They seem incapable of communicating via email and instead do nothing but pass along chain letters, warnings (hoaxes for the most part), and just about anything else that comes into their mailboxes.
My cousin and I suspect they don't actually have anything to say but want to make sure that none of us forget they're still around. :)

[aladriana.livejournal.com]

I had to do the same with my daughters.