Ah, Irony

So I got this email, this obvious hoax, and I responded to it. Here's the original message:
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Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 15:34:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Yahoo is shutting down

Dear YAHOO User,
Because of the sudden rush of people signing up to YAHOO, it has come to our attention that we are vastly running out of resources. So, within a month's time,anyone who does not receive this email with the exact subject heading,will be deleted off our server. Please forward this email so that we know you are still using this account.

We want to find out which users are actually using their YAHOO accounts. So if you are using your account, please pass this e-mail to every YAHOO user that you can and IF YOU DO NOT PASS this letter to anyone we will delete your account.

From Mr. ALLEN SMITH
YAHOO Admin. Dept.

Our YAHOO system is getting to crowded!! We need you to forward this to at least 20 people. I know this seems like a large number, but we need to find out who is really using their account. If you do not send this to at least 10 YAHOO members, we will delete your account. Sorry for this inconvenience.
Sincerely, Director of YAHOO Services
BOB LOPEZ
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Here is my response:

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Okay, I don't normally respond to all these messages, and certainly don't reply all, so sorry for the inconvenience. However, in light of the apparent panic that this message seems to be sending, I feel compelled to do so.

Let me ask you a question: If you worked at Yahoo! and felt your system was getting too crowded, that your company was "vastly running out of resources," would you then proceed to send out a mass email telling users to overwhelm the system with meaningless messages?

Secondly, I would hope that the Director of Yahoo! Services a) would refer to Yahoo! as Yahoo! and not YAHOO and b) would proofread his message (Our YAHOO system is getting *too* crowded) .

Hi, I'm on the subway, and it's totally packed, so could more people please come in? It's illogical, and a blatant scam.

Incidentally, Yahoo! already has ways of knowing whether people are using their accounts, and do regularly purge accounts that are not being used frequently. So if you are a fan of Yahoo! mail, and do not wish to experience temporary shutdowns due to system failures, I urge
you NOT to forward this message on, but perhaps simply respond to those who have sent you mail with a gentle reminder to research whether these warnings are real before passing them on.

Thank you.

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So I sent this message out, and pretty much immediately afterwards, I got the following message back for 3 different Yahoo! Accounts:
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This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

haileykeaton@yahoo.com

Technical details of permanent failure:
PERM_FAILURE: SMTP Error (state 12): 554 delivery error: dd Sorry your message to haileykeaton@yahoo.com cannot be delivered. This account has been disabled or discontinued [#102]. - mta174.mail.re4.yahoo.com

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Ironic, no?