20:
178:, and folklore. The items are often office-related, such as spoof agenda for meetings, spurious descriptions of ridiculous training programs that all staff will allegedly be required to attend, and so on. Names may be whited out and replaced with someone in the office, making it a joke on a particular person, or details may be altered making an item more topical.
218:
Later, during the early 1990s, the widespread adoption of telecopiers made it possible to duplicate these materials remotely. The use of a fax machine to duplicate these materials also changed the emphases of their subjects; various alarms and urban legends were propagated to distant readers over
206:
exist of drawings of female nudes with their body parts labeled as if they were the parts of airplanes. With the widespread adoption of photocopying, amateur duplication of this sort of material became available to a much larger social base. Cartoons and other amateur materials were distributed in
326:
sources, school administrators sometimes acted to ban the wearing of Stars of David and similar symbols of minority religions. Typically, no compiler or author is given for the collection of symbols, though frightening descriptions are often given about their "secret meaning." A number of
193:
Heaven is where the police are
British, the lovers French, the mechanics German, the chefs Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, the chefs British, and it is all organized by the
262:
initiation, was another hoax that was widely circulated as faxlore. The poor graphic quality of the frequently re-sent faxes, which often were made out to appear to have originated with the police department of a distant
253:
The "lights out" hoax, which claimed that people who were driving in the dark with their headlights out might be gang members, and that those who flashed their headlights at these drivers might be marked for
181:
The semi-traditional lists of reasons "why a cucumber is better than a man" or "why a beer is better than a woman" often circulate as faxlore, as has the well known mock German variations of the "
158:
often circulate as faxlore, the poor graphic quality becoming worse with each new person who resends the joke to the next recipient. Because faxlore and xeroxlore is the (mis)appropriation of
860:, 827 F.Supp. 1459 (C.D. Cal. 1993) – School board dress code forbidding the wearing of sports logos, claimed to be "gang symbols", partially struck down by court.
231:; email makes forwarding of texts relatively easy, and the frightening nature of the revelation makes it seem important to pass along, despite any doubts the sender might have.
854:, 976 F.Supp. 659 (S.D. Tex. 1997) – School board rule forbidding wearing of the rosary as a necklace, claimed to be a "gang symbol", struck down by court.
123:
Das maschine-kontrol ist nicht für der gefingerpoken und mittengraben! Oderwise ist easy to schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparksen.
395:
are now available to quickly and widely spread the sort of material that formerly circulated as faxlore. The hoax warnings of things such as dire and terrible
223:
as that technology became more widely used and embedded in the culture; the sort of urban legends that once circulated by fax are now likely to appear as
919:
742:
Hatch, Mary Jo; Jones, Michael Owen: "Photocopylore at work: aesthetics, collective creativity and the social construction of organizations", in
239:
Other sorts of faxlore have had more serious consequences. A number of more notorious urban legends have circulated in faxlore. The notorious "
663:
864:
876:
799:
758:
319:
were mingled with other cryptic or fanciful symbols in these faxed and recirculated sheets, and the entire collection was condemned.
85:
88:'s essay "Xerox-lore", 1974. "Photocopylore" is perhaps the most frequently encountered name for the phenomenon now, because of
875:
Foundation for
Georgia. Shows school administrators relying on anonymous printouts and rumors to condemn, among other things,
349:
distributors, Amway being one of
Procter & Gamble's competitors; the hoax was spread by fax, photocopier, and later by
834:
779:
736:
719:
705:
691:
677:
651:
637:
623:
498:
129:
Ist nicht für gewerken bei dummkopfen. Der rubbernecken sightseeren keepen das cottonpicken händer in das pockets.
872:
871:, (N.D. Ga., case no. 1:04-CV-01180-BBM). Apr. 9, 2005, accessed Nov. 9, 2007. Brief filed on behalf of the
751:
334:
were filed over actions taken by school administrators who took these anonymous sources seriously.
812:
807:, byline June 10, 1998, accessed Nov, 9, 2007 – The Procter & Gamble logo hoax
392:
240:
965:
816:, Oct. 4, 1993 – "Lights Out" gang initiation legend spreads by fax and copier.
796:
824:
458:
23:
An early example of a faxlore warning about tattoo stickers allegedly laced with drugs, an
8:
684:
When You're Up to Your Ass in
Alligators... More Urban Folklore from the Paperwork Empire
410:
338:
208:
819:
482:
101:
909:
198:
Materials of this sort have existed from the beginnings of duplicating technologies.
960:
950:
903:
830:
775:
732:
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698:
Never Try to Teach a Pig to Sing: Still More Urban
Folklore from the Paperwork Empire
687:
673:
647:
633:
619:
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388:
323:
284:
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and email. Another occasional hoax claims that clothing and memorabilia of various
913:
803:
400:
328:
955:
396:
380:
939:
670:
Work Hard and You Shall Be
Rewarded: Urban Folklore from the Paperwork Empire
304:
276:
182:
175:
171:
142:
138:
712:
Sometimes the Dragon Wins: Yet More Urban
Folklore from the Paperwork Empire
174:, office technology has given new life to various forms of practical jokes,
19:
945:
865:
Plaintiff's
Memorandum of Law in Support of her Motion for Summary Judgment
610:
300:
199:
186:
74:
58:
28:
24:
929:
659:
62:
50:
279:, collections of supposedly sinister symbols have been circulated among
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that still occasionally circulate, carry on one tradition of the bogus
354:
350:
228:
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159:
105:
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On the authority of these anonymous, hard-to-trace, and impossible-to-
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the telephone lines. This use of fax has been somewhat supplanted by
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restrictions on the use of office supplies, and often in disregard of
405:
370:
316:
212:
203:
89:
291:
symbols", and in the 1990s they were alleged to be "gang symbols".
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faxlore is mildly subversive of the workplace and its values. Like
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422:
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296:
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54:
42:
331:
151:
358:
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255:
163:
863:
Roberts, Kesler T., Littrell, Elizabeth L., Weber, Gerald R.:
810:
Bunch, Michael: "Technology Aided Spread of
Terrifying Hoax",
763:"Traditional Humor from the Fax Machine: 'All of a Kind'", in
880:
654:) – collecting examples, inc. "Blue Star Acid"
384:
346:
220:
167:
93:
46:
287:; in the 1980s these symbols were frequently alleged to be "
837:) – contains a linguistic discussion of the
427:
312:
264:
259:
247:
155:
729:
Raising the Devil: Satanism, New
Religions, and the Media
243:
749:
Michael, Nancy. "Censure of a Photocopylore Display."
227:. Specific computer related alarms are the subject of
920:"Mississippi high school bars student's Star of David"
345:" was linked in the 1980s to the activity of several
185:" poster. Another commonly circulated text contains
852:Chalifoux v. New Caney Independent School District
774:, Jan Brunvand, editor in chief. (Garland, 1996;
409:(an altered compound of common computer functions
61:that are circulated, not by word of mouth, but by
616:The Truth Never Stands in the Way of a Good Story
111:
96:Corporation. The first use of this term came in
937:
403:that used to circulate as faxlore, now known as
120:Alles turisten und nonteknischen lookenpeepers!
521:
519:
858:Jeglin v. San Jacinto Unified School District
267:, only made these hoaxes seem more credible.
516:
234:
126:Der maschine ist diggen bei experten only!
869:Tillman v. Gwinnett County School District
465:(19). Pennsylvania Folklore Society: 11–26
132:Zo relaxen und watschen der blinkenlights.
576:, 2005; Bunch, 1993; Roberts et al., 2005
16:Urban legends that spread via fax machine
879:logos and clothing, and a patch reading
18:
456:
364:
207:the workplace, usually in violation of
938:
672:. (Rev. ed., Wayne State Univ. 1992;
626:) – collecting examples
150:Some faxlore is relatively harmless.
827:: In Praise of the Music of Language
755:, vol. 32, no. 2 (May–August 1995).
604:
137:A common example of faxlore is the
13:
772:American Folklore: An Encyclopedia
73:is similar material circulated by
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977:
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491:A Dictionary of English Folklore
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98:A Dictionary of English Folklore
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873:American Civil Liberties Union
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555:
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476:
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112:Material circulated in faxlore
1:
767:, vol. 53, no. 2 (April 1994)
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877:University of North Carolina
752:Journal of Folklore Research
597:, 1993; Roberts et al., 2005
457:Preston, Michael J. (1974).
443:
162:owned by the employer, much
7:
788:
746:, vol. 3, no. 2 (July 1997)
493:. Oxford University Press.
416:
250:is one well known example.
10:
982:
930:Archive of viral documents
368:
361:teams are "gang symbols".
189:; a typical version goes:
80:The first use of the term
700:(Wayne State Univ. 1991;
686:(Wayne State Univ. 1997;
337:A similar claim that the
235:Faxlore and urban legends
845:
744:Culture and Organization
813:San Diego Union-Tribune
731:(Univ. Kentucky, 2000;
618:(2000, Univ. Illinois:
510:Michael, 1995; Dundes,
393:social networking sites
92:concerns involving the
797:Trademark of the Beast
644:Curses! Broiled Again!
196:
148:
35:
904:The "Lights Out" hoax
375:With the rise of the
191:
115:
22:
883:, as "gang symbols".
825:Le Ton beau de Marot
630:The Choking Doberman
365:Growing obsolescence
339:Procter & Gamble
33:The Choking Doberman
820:Hofstadter, Douglas
759:Preston, Michael J.
283:administrators and
926:, August 29, 1999)
924:Jewish News Weekly
802:2007-02-20 at the
570:Jewish News Weekly
483:Jacqueline Simpson
299:symbols, like the
285:police departments
141:variation of the "
102:Jacqueline Simpson
86:Michael J. Preston
36:
714:(Syracuse, 1997;
463:Keystone Folklore
389:instant messaging
973:
932:at textfiles.com
770:"Xeroxlore", in
765:Western Folklore
605:Academic sources
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379:, media such as
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914:everything2.com
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804:Wayback Machine
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664:Pagter, Carl R.
646:(Horton, 1989;
632:(Norton, 1984;
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888:External links
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411:copy and paste
381:World Wide Web
369:Main article:
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966:Urban legends
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720:0-8156-0371-1
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706:0-8143-2358-8
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624:0-252-07004-6
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574:Free Republic
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305:Star of David
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277:United States
271:Legal aspects
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41:is a sort of
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27:collected by
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467:. Retrieved
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459:"Xerox-lore"
452:
404:
374:
355:universities
341:logo was a "
336:
321:
301:peace symbol
274:
252:
238:
229:virus hoaxes
225:email hoaxes
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200:World War II
197:
192:
187:ethnic humor
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149:
131:
128:
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119:
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97:
81:
79:
75:photocopying
70:
66:
38:
37:
32:
31:in his book
29:Jan Brunvand
25:urban legend
910:"Xeroxlore"
585:Emery, 1998
552:Ellis, 2000
534:Bunch, 1993
139:mock German
63:fax machine
51:folk poetry
940:Categories
898:snopes.com
487:Steve Roud
469:2013-11-23
439:References
351:voice mail
209:managerial
204:blueprints
160:technology
106:Steve Roud
562:Chalifoux
444:Citations
406:copypasta
371:Copypasta
317:pentagram
315:, or the
297:religious
293:Political
241:Blue Star
213:copyright
194:Italians.
117:Achtung!
90:trademark
82:xeroxlore
67:Xeroxlore
961:Spamming
951:Folklore
800:Archived
789:Analysis
572:, 1999;
568:, 1993;
564:, 1997;
489:(2000).
433:Samizdat
423:Junk fax
417:See also
377:Internet
332:lawsuits
164:humorous
152:Cartoons
145:" poster
135:—
55:folk art
47:humorous
43:folklore
289:Satanic
275:In the
84:was in
57:, and
49:texts,
39:Faxlore
881:España
833:
778:
735:
718:
704:
690:
676:
650:
636:
622:
595:Jeglin
566:Jeglin
512:passim
497:
391:, and
359:sports
311:, the
309:Rosary
307:, the
303:, the
281:school
256:murder
956:Jokes
846:Legal
385:email
347:Amway
221:email
215:law.
168:email
156:jokes
94:Xerox
841:text
831:ISBN
776:ISBN
733:ISBN
716:ISBN
702:ISBN
688:ISBN
674:ISBN
662:and
648:ISBN
634:ISBN
620:ISBN
495:ISBN
485:and
428:Meme
313:ankh
265:city
260:gang
248:hoax
244:Acid
202:era
170:and
154:and
104:and
946:Fax
912:at
896:at
867:in
413:).
357:or
295:or
100:by
69:or
65:.
942::
822::
666::
518:^
461:.
387:,
383:,
246:"
108:.
77:.
53:,
45::
922:(
916:.
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829:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
