Snopes

[Ranger Butch Force]

So, you log into your Facebook and you see a picture of sharks swimming around near escalators in Kuwait.

Or, you see someone posting a long letter to Facebook about not sharing their information to anyone.

Or, there's a child that will receive a life saving surgery for free if you "like" the page, along with 999 other people.

You see all of that, but is it really true? I'm a huge skeptic so any time I see something like that, I check Snopes.com first.

My question is this, why doesn't anyone do this before they make the decision to pass along bogus information? I will admit, the picture of the sharks was kinda cool, but either way I checked Snopes regarding its authenticity and found out that it was not. I was a little bummed, but it was too good to be true.

I started this thread because checking Snopes is sort of an interest or hobby of mine. I even go on there to read legendary stories that pop up every now and then (like the one where the black man was upgraded to first class on an airplane because a white woman/man did not want to sit next to him) as well as some new stuff going around.

Always remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/sharktank.asp
http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/privacy.asp
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/100shares.asp

[chai~]

why do some people pass along bogus info?
for me, I have just learned about snopes about 4 months ago, so I guess I was under a rock too long! lol

I just didn't know it existed!
will be more diligent with my sharing from now on!

Thanks for the reminder!

[Ranger Butch Force]

My biggest pet peeve is people passing along bogus Amber Alerts to get us to look for a child that isn't even missing.

[chai~]

it is horrible, crying wolf.

I'm sure there are more people like me who did it unknowingly, because why would they do it on purpose?
Once we know better, I think most will do better.

[princessbelle]

I have never heard of Snopes. Thanks for letting us know.

I don't think i pass things around much. Usually just cute sayings and puppies and kittens. But, i have believed stuff. Like the shark thing.

I am quite naive in real life, but when i saw that one about "pass this around so the heart transplant will be free". I didn't buy that. I mean it's just not logical. I guess us naive peeps can just be pushed so far. LOL.

Thanks for posting this.

[Ranger Butch Force]

I love puppies and kitties, and if you "Thank" this post, $25,000 will not be donated to the Humane Society in your name.

OMG! Does it make me a terrible person if I don't want to help out the Humane Society by not thanking this post? El Oh El

[princessbelle]

I love puppies and kitties, and if you "Thank" this post, $25,000 will not be donated to the Humane Society in your name.

I guess i'm still the gullible one around here. :(

[Spork]

On Facebook, I only post the joke-hoaxes ("98% people need a punch to the face"). I still get some chain mails, and I just go to Snopes and forward them the link to the hoax.

Snopes is really good to burst gullible people's bubbles. ;)

[Ranger Butch Force]

FYI - Your "Republican" mother who hasn't been registered to vote since 1977 does not care for it when you respond to her hateful, lie-filled chain email about Obama being a Muslim not born in the United States and eats kittens for breakfast with a Snopes link.

Fortunate for me, my mother doesn't spent a lot of time on the internet like most people do. She's been working around computers when they were the size of a warehouse.

And FYI, my mother hasn't been registered to vote since the 80's. So there. :P

And I say "so there" with all due respect.

[Ranger Butch Force]

This story is starting to circulate again.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/greatestgift.asp

[Babyangeleyez]

I love Snopes. I've been using it forever! I always check stuff before posting.

[Miss Scarlett]

FYI - Your "Republican" mother who hasn't been registered to vote since 1977 does not care for it when you respond to her hateful, lie-filled chain email about Obama being a Muslim not born in the United States and eats kittens for breakfast with a Snopes link.

Too funny! i do this to my Dad & Stepmother all the time!

[Tawse]

mmmm snopes! I've taught a few people to check before sending and if anything seems too good to be true or to fantastic to be reality - I'll check it out first. The first time someone posts something stupid - I send them the link via IM (no point publicly humiliating someone who just doesn't know) after that if they continue to post stuff like that - it's on.

I also make it a habit to never post political statements or meme's - there's too much taken outta context or just stating half the quotes (from both sides) for my taste... for those I just "hide story" and move along.

[Ranger Butch Force]

I saw this one come up this morning.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/riteaid.asp

[dixie]

I'm a big fan of Snopes. Sometimes I do, however, pass around the really outrageous stuff I see on facebook, simply because it's in my sarcastic nature to do so (and to see who will really believe it).