New Media & Society, Vol. 7, No. 6, 770-790 (2005) Email forwardables: folklore in the age of the internet Marjorie D. Kibby Email communication fosters an environment where messages have an inherent ‘truth value’ while at the same time senders have reduced inhibitions about the types of messages sent. When this is combined with a convenience and ease of communication and an ability to contact huge numbers of people simultaneously, email becomes a rapid and effective distribution mechanism for gossip, rumour and urban legends. Email has enabled not only the birth of new folklore, but also the revival of older stories with contemporary relevance and has facilitated their distribution on an unprecedented scale. Regards, Marj Dr Marjorie Kibby, Senior Lecturer in Communication & Culture Faculty of Education and Arts The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604

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julie dare <jsdare@ozemail.com.au> 10/29/07 11:51 PM >>> Hi

Can anyone advise of research or references on the social use of 'boilerplate' or prefabricated email messages - the messages containing jokes, sayings, cute messages etc. (not spam) that get forwarded on from person to person. The only direct reference I can find is the Boneva and Kraut article, Using e-mail for personal relationships: The difference gender makes, in The American Behavioral Scientist, November 2001. Many thanks Julie Dare _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/