Latest
Well, I finally got sent the Maddie chain letter. Now, all of a sudden, I feel a part of the collective outpouring of grief, albeit unwilling. I actually don't even recognise the name of the person who sent it to me, but there I am, in among 20 other names in a group email. This is the one that originated from Madeleine's uncle, Phil McCann. In it, accompanied by a picture of Maddie, he says, "As you are aware my niece, Madeleine, is still missing and I am asking everyone I know to send this as a chain letter i.e. you send it to everyone you know and ask them to do the same, as the story is only being covered in Britain, Eire and Portugal. We don't believe that she is in Portugal anymore and need to get her picture and the story across Europe as quickly as possible. Suggestions are welcome." I feel for the bloke, and the family, as previously stated for the record, but I ask once again, is this helping? Really? (By which I mean helping to find Maddie, not helping people unconnected with the crime fill a hole in their lives.)
I am so against chain letters, or chain emails, which are worse, as they literally take zero effort to forward and strike me as a form of casual harassment. In a way, putting a bulletin out on MySpace is less intrusive. That's what those networking sites are for. But why send me this email? What am I to do? (Apart from send it to "everybody I know", as instructed, which I am certainly not going to do. The only time to send an email to everybody in your address book is when you change email address.)
Meanwhile, away from the chain letters, the media seem to have now lost interest almost completely in Maddie. That must be galling for her parents. It's not as if she is any less lost all of a sudden is it? How abandoned they must now feel, having been wooed and made to feel so important for so many days on the trot. It all rather proves the point about the profligate, uncaring, venal nature of the media I was originally trying to make. It's as if we've been given the all-clear to care less and move on. If that bloke called Roger, who found my "anti-media cliches" so yawnsome would like to comment, I'd love to hear what he has to say. (Actually, I wouldn't.)
If anyone wants the email, let me know, and I'll forward it.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 1:25 PM
23 Comments
Contact
Andrew at
23 Comments:
It is unlikely that anyone will not have heard this story by now. I therefore agree that the chain e mail is completely unecessary and, could be seen as unwelcome. I sincerely hope that I do not receive any and they will not be forwarded to anyone if I do. Obviously I hope that Madeleine is found safe and well and I feel for her parents and family but it will remain to be seen whether this media circus will have helped the situation.
How can a chain letter help. About as much as
these bonkers mother and daughter combos from Rochdale who have flown to Portugal to be part of the hunt and who haven't felt this way since 'Diana' because they felt they knew 'Maddie'.
Who are these people with lives so lacking in something they'll up sticks for as long as it takes to join in something where they can be of no real use and with which they have absolutely no connection? With their specially printed matching t-shirts and ready quotes for whatever media is still around, they're the human equivalent of chain letters. Not helpful.
I disagree about the media losing interest. It was the front page story in some of the tabloids yesterday. It's still the third or fourth item on the BBC News bulletins.
Which is a shame - it's become less about finding Madeleine, and more about showing your worry. How is donating to a fund going to help find her? Why are we/the media concentrating solely on this one blonde photogenic child when other children go missing all the time?
It can't be a slow news week thing - in the days since she went missing, we've had a Prime Minister resigning for goodness' sake.
Two-faced media aside; if the public really do care they'll start lobbying the government to channel a little more money into breaking down criminal networks. I'm guessing a small fraction of the money spent on the 'shock and awe' in Iraq could lead to making human trafficking more trouble than it's worth for a lot of people (and yes, the lobbying campaign probably wouldn't involve chain emails).
I would still argue that the media have lost interest, at least comparatively. Most of the front pages today seemed to be about the home information packs being axed (now we get to the real news that matters!) - I saw a Maddie story on one of the London papers, something to do with the girlfriend of a suspect being questioned - but you must admit, the coverage has slackened off considerably. (An EastEnders storyline about an abduction has been "pulled" according to today's Sun - that's how desperate they are to find something new to spin off it.)
This story isn't going away. It's International Missing Children's Day on Friday, there will be the inevitable spot on Crimewatch in June, then the tabloid Panorama followup. I suspect Max Clifford will get involved at some point as well unless he is already.
I got sent one of these - it came to my work e-mail address, from someone I barely know at work. I sent a polite message back saying I didn't wish to be sent these mails (she forwards just about anything, including hoax e-mails). I got a reply saying "no-one else minded", implying that I'm a heartless bastard.
I was seriously miffed at this point, and told her that the work e-mail system is not to be used to pass on spam. Let's face it - that's what this is. Given that I've been in the UK for the entire period she's been missing, just what the hell am I supposed to do?
Around 800 under-18s have gone missing in the UK since Maddie vanished. Where's all the virtual candles for them, eh?
thanks for the 'heads up' about this chain letter. There definitely seems to be an emotional resonance effect going on (witness the comments about Diana), and it's quite difficult to avoid being caught up in the tsunami of feeling -- the assumption is that if you're critical of the phenomenon you are in some way being insensitive to the family.
I was this (holds fingers really close) close to forwarding everyone on this e-mail a death toll in Iraq, Save Dafur, No. of under 18's that have gone missing in the interim or just forwarded the piece in The Independent from the 15th to them. Thought otherwise though, probably for the best.
By everyone I meant in my office that I know, not everyone on the e-mail, that's a bit much
I haven't received it.
I'm sorry for what has happened to this family.
We were in Spain 3 years ago and while we slept our apartment was broken into.
They stepped over our children while they slept, robbed my wife's handbag and my camera.
It can happen so easily.
The media circus is just a sideshow. I chose to ignore it and haven't yet received this spam in my email. When I do I'll add it to the penis enlargement pile.
Peter
Dublin
aka Shortwave
http://myspace.com/imadethebbc
I put a picture of her up on my blog. Mainly to say I should remember her. because you are right Andrew. By degrees the media are losing interst in this story. Next week Big Brother starts and it will totally disappear.
I cannot imagine how these parents will feel as they see the news crews go back to England one by one.
Eventually they will have to face the decision how long they stay out there. I heard Ben Needham's mom on the radio the other day (her son was abducted in Kos, I think, about fifteen years ago now) and she was saying it was the toughest decision she ever had to make.
I also hate chain e-mails and simply delete them. They are just dull and I think it takes a special lack of imagination to send one.
Someone printed it out and posted it in the kitchen at my work.
I checked in all the cupboards and the fridge - she wasn't in there.
I'm not sure what other response was expected of me?
Yesterday, on the front of www.football365.com (an excellent website if you're that way inclined) there was a picture of a clan of Liverpool fans on their way to the final with a huge banner saying 'HELP FIND MADDY'. I told my co-workers I found it distasteful and was all but crucified for having an opinion. I was told repeatedly that 'they were just doing their bit'. I don't believe that's what it is - I think it's a gang mentality whereby if you don't share the sentiment, you're excluded, just as I was for piping up.
The whole thing has become so warped it's sickening.
It might well not be very helpful, but it must be immensely frustrating for her uncle, who started the email, and others involved, to know that they can't actually DO anything. So sending out a chain email, while pointless in some ways, might at least make people feel they're doing all they can. It doesn't exactly take any time or effort to delete an email. If you don't want to read it, then don't. Simple.
I think a lot of people are genuinely upset by her disappearance. I have friends with young kids and it's a case of "there but for the grace for God..." And yes, lots of kids go missing, but that's not a reason to forget all about this particular case, or treat with scorn all the attention it's invited, but on the contrary, to bring to the public eye the fact that this DOES happen, and kids DO go missing - far, far too often.
Px
Nobody's pouring scorn on her uncle, Px. Personally, I'm pouring scorn on those who blithely pass the email on to everybody in their address book when the disappearance of this man's niece has been one of the highest-profile news stories of the year so far.
I mentioned the fact that I'd received the email to commemorate that I have been unwittingly caught up in the media hoo-hah. The tentacles are out. And we've had a lot of instances in the comments here from people who've been basically pilloried by workmates for not caring enough. That's emotional bullying. I also have friends with kids who seem to identify with the case, but only because, as you've said, they feel protective and fearful for their own kids, which is fair enough, but from where I'm standing, obsessing over one child doesn't raise awareness of the other missing kids. Not for most people. They're only thinking of themselves.
I think you hit the nail on the head, Px, when you said that the chain email makes people feel as though they're doing all they can. There is nothing most of us can do. I think it's OK to admit that.
Those that believe in God can pray, and nobody's going to belittle that, but since most of us, statistically, don't (except when it suits us, christenings, Christmas etc.), I feel we're searching for something to fill the gap where spirituality or faith ought to be. And passing on emails and putting up posters on our gates seems to be it.
This worries me.
Px makes a point that kids disappear "far too often" - I don't have any numbers (and in any case once is still too often) but surely this is still a very, very rare occurrence. I can't help feeling that more good could be done for childrenkind if the mass e-mails were (say) aimed at reducing the numbers of kids killed by cars each year - I'll wager way more families are affected by the latter event than the former.
As usual, I blame the Diana Effect for all the hysterics.
"...I feel we're searching for something to fill the gap where spirituality or faith ought to be. And passing on emails and putting up posters on our gates seems to be it."
That's an interesting point. It seems to me that for a lot of people, following a religion doesn't amount to much more than the equivalent of passing on emails and putting up posters. For my friends who've called themselves Christians (Anglican and Catholic) it seems to be more about routine and procedure than spirituality and faith. That's just an observation; I know that other faiths and levels of devotion are available.
I wonder to what extent those who don't hesitate to pass on the email to everyone they've ever contacted are people "of faith" and those who immediately bin it aren't?
I've just sen this story and the reader comments attahced: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1836171.ece . Well meaning people, I'm sure but beyond staire. By all means add the banner to your email as one writer suggests but it would be more constructive to make a donation to the NSPCC instead.
"Personally, I'm pouring scorn on those who blithely pass the email on to everybody in their address book when the disappearance of this man's niece has been one of the highest-profile news stories of the year so far."
Except the email makes clear that the aim is to get people to forward it to any contacts outside Britain, Eire and Portugal. Outside of these countries, the story is getting zero coverage. The police and family believe the child is no longer in Portugal.
This may be a valid use of new technology to keep the search alive and widespread. Or it may be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Worth of scorn, though? Not sure about that.
I understand the point of the original email, but why is it being sent to me, in this country, by someone I don't know?
Interesting that the tabloids seem to have reclaimed the Madeleine story today, with something about "KID PORN" in one of the headlines. That's what the public wants.
After 12 years online, and many replies to friends sending me scams, spams, warm fuzzies and fake virus alerts, I have learnt that my reply of "That's a great email, but where are the boobs?" is a great help.
Of course, it also means you may never receive an email again. At the end of the day, you will always lose points for telling a concerned and 'nice' person that you wish they hadn't emailed you that story.
Post a Comment
<< Home