Quick Guidelines:

Except for the debate forum and the religious discussion only forum, this is not a place for debate or pontification. No putting anyone down for exposing trolls and spammers anywhere on this site, not even on the debate forum. No chastising anyone for simply venting about trolls, spammers, chain forwards etc. To scold someone for exposing and speaking out against trolls, bullies and spammers is to defend those trolls, bullies and spammers, so is part of the problem.

Dissect and rant all you like about the chain letters you receive or happen upon, and keep it tasteful. By all means, mention whenever someone passes on chain letters and they are non-Christian, left-wingers or both. They always make doubly sure to point out every time a Christian or right-wing passes on chain letters. Sometimes they even falsely accuse right-wingers or Christians of chain letter activity from simply forwarding to originating them.

You may expose people who do these things, just don't do them here yourself: spamming, trolling, strong/obscene language, promoting/defending/excusing of animal welfare/rights or anti-abortion/anti-immigration activism, racism/sexism, anti-Christian/Semitic/Muslim sentiment. If you want to stand with me, let's get this straight right now. Only Idiots Play the Nazi/Gender/Race Card!

More about chain letters:

Sometimes chain letters will appear to have a link to a hoax-busting site included in them - especially a Snopes link. This is a trick to make the chain letter appear valid so the reader will just forward without question, because after all, if the forward has a Snopes link, then it must absolutely be true! Right?

WRONG!

The link the chain contains could turn out to be a debunk of the very forward that included it, or worse, it could be a masked link that looks like Snopes but if you click on it, it could turn out to be a malware/Phishing site.

Don't forward the chain. Don't click on the link within this type of chain. Instead, open a browser and go to Snopes or other hoax-debunking site manually or via your "favorites" or "Bookmarks" and type in some search terms that were found in the chain letter. For example, if you get a virus warning that tells you not to open emails with the subject "Olympics" or "Merry Christmas" and that fwd claims Snopes says it's true, and gives a link to what appears to be Snopes, close the email, go to Snopes and type in the search box "Merry Christmas" or "Olympics" or even the word "virus" which should bring up articles dealing with all virus warning forwards. Then, open your email program and do a reply-all with the information that debunks the chain letter to help stem the spread. With any luck, maybe your friend and others on their recipiant list will get a little wiser. Maybe. At least you will have done your part by breaking the chain and trying to help others to as well.

"But it's real, I checked." "It isn't animation or photoshop." "It's a real person in that video."

That doesn't matter. It's still a chain letter because it's viral and it's circulating like wild fire. If you got it once, you'll probably get it again from someone else.

"But I don't really believe all the chain curse stuff, I just liked the joke/poem/sayings etc."

That is what's called the 'hook' and it is the big manipulation. Give you a tasty carrot so you'll pass it along with the stick as well. It's still a chain letter, it's still viral, and you won't be the first or last person who was impressed enough by the joke or poem or whatever to pass it along, with the curse crap still attached. Whether you believe the curse stuff or not, passing it along, posting it without thoroughly trashing it makes you appear to believe it, and you don't want to look like a gullible schmuck, so just don't promote/spread it anywhere.

"But I cut out all the chain letter crap and then make sure only to send the joke/poem/etc. to certain people."

That doesn't matter. If you got it from a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend etc. It's still a viral forward AKA chain letter. There's no way to make it a non-chain letter again once it has become one. The only thing to do then is to break it by not passing it on to anyone, no matter what the content or how much it moved you. There are plenty of other resources to look to for inspiration, humor etc. that are not viral net-cloggers trying to get mass-produced.

But I always put a personal note at the top so they know I'm talking to them.

That doesn't matter. You still forwarded a viral which is a chain letter. Adding a personal note - doesn't make it any less of a viral. Here's a suggestion, email a personal note without sending the forward, you don't need a chain letter to help you write your friends personally and stay in touch.