Below is a compilation of statements and explanations that should help dispel some of the urban myths circulating on the Internet. This listing was received via e-mail.

Whoever decided to create this note and forward it on should receive some type of humanitarian award. It says it all!

Big companies don’t do business via chain letters and there are no computer programs that track how many times an e-mail is forwarded, let alone by whom. Bill Gates is not giving you $1000, and Disney is not giving you a free vacation. There is no baby food company issuing class action checks.

Proctor and Gamble is not part of a satanic cult or scheme, and its logo is not satanic.

MTV will not give you backstage passes if you forward something to the most people.

The Gap is not giving away free clothes. You can relax; there is no need to pass it on “just in case it’s true.”

There is no kidney theft ring in New Orleans. No one is waking up in a bathtub full of ice, even if a friend of a friend swears it happened to their cousin. If you are bent on believing the kidney theft ring stories, see urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm

“The National Kidney Foundation has repeatedly issued requests for actual victims of organ thieves to come forward and tell their stories,” None have. That’s “none” as in “zero,” Not even your friend’s cousin.

Neiman Marcus doesn’t really sell a $200 cookie recipe. And even if they do, we all have it. And even if you don’t, you can get a copy at: www.bl.net/forwards/cookie.html

Then, if you make the recipe, decide the cookies are that awesome, feel free to pass the recipe on.

If the latest NASA rocket disaster(s) DID contain plutonium that went to particulate over the eastern seaboard, do you REALLY think this information would reach the public via an AOL chain letter?

There is no “Good Times” virus. In fact, you should never, ever, ever forward any email containing any virus warning unless you first confirm that an actual site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses. Try: www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html

The JDBGMGR.EXE file is a legit Windows operating system file, just like sulfnbk.exe.

There is no gang initiation plot to murder any motorist who flashes headlights at another car driving at night without lights.

If you still absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message from a friend, at least have the decency to trim the eight miles of headers showing everyone else who’s received it over the last six months. (Think Cut and Paste). It sure wouldn’t hurt to get rid of all the “>>>>>>>” that begin each line either. Besides, if it has gone around that many times we’ve probably already seen it.

Craig Shergold (or Sherwood, or Sherman, etc.) in England is not dying of cancer or anything else at this time and would like everyone to stop sending him their business cards. He apparently is no longer a “little boy” either.

The “Make a Wish” foundation is a real organization doing fine work, but they have had to establish a special toll-free hot line in response to the large number of Internet hoaxes using their good name and reputation. It is distracting them from the important work they do. Also, the American Cancer Society does not give three cents for each person you forward e-mail to. They ask for you to donate money, they don’t give it, as if they could know how many e-mails you sent out...sheesh.

If you are one of those who forwards anything that “promises” something bad will happen if you “don’t,” -- I hope you have better things to do than to keep waiting to see if you don't!

Women really are suffering in Afghanistan, but forwarding an e-mail won’t help their cause in the least. If you want to help, contact your local legislative representative, or get in touch with Amnesty International or the Red Cross.

As a general rule, e-mail “signatures” are easily faked and mean nothing to anyone with any power to do anything about whatever the competition is complaining about.

This is one of my favorites: "AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR THE Internet must be shut down for 24 hours for cleaning. The process, which eliminates dead e-mail and inactive ftp, www and gopher sites, will make for a faster, more efficient Internet. This year, the cleaning process will take place from 12:01 a.m. GMT on April 7 until 12:01 a.m. GMT on April 8. During that 24-hour period, five very powerful, Japanese-built, multilingual Internet-crawling robots (Toshiba ML-2274's) situated around the world will search the Internet and delete any erroneous data that they find."

I just KNOW that one is true because I read it in an email!

Another thing, just because someone said in a message, four generations back, that “we checked it out and it’s legit,” does not actually make it true.

PS: There is no bill pending before Congress that will allow long distance companies to charge you for using the Internet.

At the peak of the "recycling sneakers" e-mail hoax, sports manufacturer Nike was receiving 100 pairs of ratty old sneakers a day from email victims, each fully expecting to be sent a brand-new pair of Nikes in exchange.

Bottom Line - composing e-mail or posting something on the Net is as easy as writing on the walls of a public rest room. Don’t automatically believe it until it’s proven false...ASSUME it’s false, unless there is proof that it’s true.”

If you are afraid NOT to forward seemingly farfetched messages you receive, you might have the “Gullibility Virus.”

Have fun. Have a laugh. Check out Urban Legends and Vmyths. But don't pass them on!