I loveSnopes . It ’s my go - to resource when someone forwards me an electronic mail and I know it ’s fake , but I do n’t have time to typecast out a response explaining why e-mail forward are always hoaxes . The common people at Snopes have already done the legwork , in well - researched articles that formalise all sorts of hoaxes , urban legend , and dotty internet stuff . send someone a Snopes link is the digital equivalent of call BS .
To make Snopes even better , its author ( the Mikkelsons ) really reply to their email . Last yr I wrote an clause formental_flossinvolving MacGyver , and was using a Snopes clause as a source . Being good journalists , they had actually advert their own sources – but I could n’t find those source articles through my local library system . So I went ahead and e-mail the web site owner asking if they had tips on finding the article . To my surprise ( and delight ) I got a personal response the next daytime , including PDFs of the article in motion . Nowthat’sawesome .
So I intend I ’d level you to a ace - useful pageboy on the Snopes land site : their25 Hottest Urban Legends . Among the top hits that have beenpersonally sent to me by family members and friendsare a boguscell headphone teleselling alarm , Microsoft / AOL game show , and an allegedFacebook computer virus , though my favorite from the tilt isCut Onion Contamination , in which a claim is made that onion are overwhelmingly creditworthy for food spoilage , and various claims are made about mayo . Just take it , it ’s complicated .
Another favorite : theFauxtographypage , which determines the authenticity of all variety of photograph circulated online – including the photograph of a adult female hand - feeding hummingbird ( lawful ! ) show above . ( Photo copyright 2006 Sam & Abigail Alfano )
