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E-Cards Spread Holiday Cheer, Viruses

Online greeting cards rising in popularity; paper still preferred

By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 24, 2007 7:44 PM CST
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(Newser) – Online greeting cards are all the rage this holiday season. They're mostly free, and can feature funny, interactive subjects ranging from elf tossing to reindeer arm wrestling. E-cards are also delivered instantly, an advantage for the forgetful around Christmas. But traditional cards are still the preferred way to spread holiday cheer, with 20 paper cards sent out for every e-card, claims the Greeting Card Association.

"When it matters, it's mailed. You don't put an e-mail on your refrigerator," says one postal worker. Paper cards also cannot be used for spam or spyware, which can be hidden in electronic greetings. Experts—and common sense—say beware of e-cards that are too generic sounding or contain the sorts of misspellings common to the vast amounts of non-holiday spam on the Net.

Original Santa Claus and Rudolph puppets from the TV special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, are seen on display at the Time and Space Toys booth during the Mid-Ohio-Con comic book convention in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007. Kevin Kriess, owner of the Pittsburgh, Penn., store found the puppets...
Original Santa Claus and Rudolph puppets from the TV special "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," are seen on display at the Time and Space Toys booth during the Mid-Ohio-Con comic book convention in Columbus,...   (Associated Press)
South Korean runners wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in the Santa Marathon race in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007. Over 1,000 people participated in the 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) charity run to raise money for the poor as Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in...
South Korean runners wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in the Santa Marathon race in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007. Over 1,000 people participated in the 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) charity...   (Associated Press)
A New Year tree stands in front of former KGB headquarters on Lubyanka Square in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 24, 2007. New Year's is the biggest holiday of the year in Russia, and is followed by the Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)
A New Year tree stands in front of former KGB headquarters on Lubyanka Square in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 24, 2007. New Year's is the biggest holiday of the year in Russia, and is followed by the Orthodox...   (Associated Press)
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E-cards

American Greetings
American Greetings

Reindeer Arm Wrestling
Reindeer Arm Wrestling

Elf Yourself
Elf Yourself

 
Internet • spam • computer virus • spyware • holiday • Christmas • e card • electronic greetings • electronic card • holiday card

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