Another reason not to forward a message is if asks you to do so. This, by definition, makes it a chain letter (see definition of "chain letter" in www.britanica.com). And even if the chain letter has a positive and true message, the fact that it is a chain letter discredits it.

>I am a natural skeptic and never foward antyhing without verification. Almost everything I get are virus hoaxes which I can verify at several different sites like datafellows.com
>
>Most of this crap is propagated and spammed out to all the rest of us by AO[hel]L users. My philosophy is if I get an e-mail about viruses or anything out of the ordinary where more the half the recipient list involves AOL, I immediately think hoax. Even 1 AOL user on the list raises my suspicions.
>
>>I think it's a great Website. If you hear any crazy rumor, check snopes first! Especially before forwarding them.
>>
>>Another rumor that's circulating involves a flight number that never actually existed, in the hijacked planes (http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/wingding.htm).
>>
>>Seems like Barbara and David P. Mikkelson (the copyright owners of the Website) do some serious investigations, for their rumor page.