SPAM, or, Why the BCC funtion was invented

A bit of controversy happened on BYU-Idaho campus on Thursday. The College of Business and Communication (CBC), in their good-intentioned yet fatally flawed system, sends out multiple emails throughout the week (and throughout the day) concerning internships, career opportunities, and scholarship information. I don’t pay much attention to these emails because of the frequency they are sent out as well as the lack of information they contain (I should write an email about that…).

When I woke up on Thursday, I checked my school email as usual for class cancellations or other important notices. I’m probably one of the few that actually checks it on a regular basis. I noticed that my inbox was filled with about 10-15 new email messages. As I read (and read and read and read) I noticed that the CBC sent out an email about internships, and instead of using the BCC function, the employee accidently made everybody’s email viewable. This meant that the biggest college department on campus, the CBC, with approximately 2,727 students (and yes, I did just do a quick-count through that email list).

But that’s not the best part! The best part is the students, using the wonderful “Reply to All” function, and using it as their personal soap box.

For example:

“That’s one long list of emails”

(Thank you Captain Obvious)

“If you forward this to ten of your friends, you will find good fortune tomorrow,
but if you forward this to a million random email addresses- you might get translated...yay!”

(Only in Mormon Culture would this be sent out)

“i'm fixing to buy a used washer and dryer and sell a 2nd block contract. Anyone? anyone? oh, and i got an old Econ 111 and 112 book they won't take back. Any takers?”

(I love college students. Any platform to buy what they need or sell what they don’t need, they use)

“Enough people, it isn't a joke, some idiot just hit 'reply to all' instead of 'reply'. Okay? Enough sending this email around to everyone. This stupid email chain ends now.”

(Yup, way to stand up for the right thing…except for the fact that you directly contradicted yourself. Way to be the bigger man dude).

After agreeing with above email

“PS. just a quick shout out to (Name withheld to protect the idiot)...i saw you on campus yesterday morning!”

Then there’s the guy soliciting his idea for a sports league in Rexburg…but that’s not the best one…

“So funny, these people goofing off and then some other people like... outraged. Blame the person who was dumb enough to include all these e-mail addresses in a mass e-mail. Anyway, if anyone's looking for a handsome 22 year old young man from Boston, send me a text at (Number withheld to protect the idiot). I wonder if my phone would explode if you all sent me texts today.

Lol”

(Welcome to Desperatesville…population – too many to count)

My goodness, is this is what we’ve become? I’m sure it isn’t any different from any other campus, but I just laugh at the hypocricy of spamming and saying “QUIT SENDING ME EMAILS! YOU’RE SPAMMING!”

Here’s to actually having something interesting to read in the Scroll today.

brandt’s hate-item of the day:

Having a lesser-known hymn in sacrament meeting that people have really never heard, yet not having the courtesy to play the full song once as an introduction. I’m all for playing the lesser-known hymns, but unless you want people mumbling the hymn throughout the entire song, you have to give a longer introduction so dopes like me can think they know it.