Friends want to show that they care. They show that they care by forwarding you a funny story, a virus warning, or a photo that they enjoyed. They show that they care by sending a mass email using the “To:” field and so exposing your email address to a bunch of strangers.
The next time your friend displays less-than-acceptable consideration when emailing you, how about sending them the following response…
Hi there:
Please visit http://thanksno.com/
It’s because I like getting personal messages from you, but don’t want any more email like this, please.
With love,
…
Or if you’re tired of receiving “chain emails” promising doom and gloom if you don’t forward the email to 20 million people in the next 2 seconds, you could try replying to the sender with this text –
” In my email box I received, from you, what my email program interpreted as a chain letter. I have set my emailer to filter out chain letters and return this reply. This is an automated email delivery — an auto response to your message which should appear at the end of this text. Your message was filtered and deposited directly into my special chain mail trash folder; I have not read it, nor will I. If you feel you have received this message in error, please send me a nasty note describing such ;o)”