The internet is without a doubt an extremely interesting thing to watch and study. For all the changes in technology and capabilities, some things seem to stay the same. Take for instance, email-borne hoaxes.
In 2004, an email started to circulate warning that Swiffer WetJet posed a general danger to household pets. Several variations surfaced claiming that someone's dog or cat or bird or gerbil or whatever had died due to licking something that had come in contact with a surface cleaned with a Swiffer WetJet. For instance, the dog walked on a freshly cleaned floor, licked it's paws and died. The variations were consistent
in claiming that the cause of death was liver failure and that when the grieving pet owner contacted Procter and Gamble, they were told that an ingredient used in the fluid was "one molecule away from antifreeze".
After circulating for awhile and causing countless pet owners to panic and forward the warning message to everyone in their Address Books, clogging mail servers and inboxes, the hoax faded away.
It is now September 2005 and the hoax is back for another round of silliness.
Folks, THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED TO BE A HOAX [For the truth]. It is also a great example of how some things on the internet take on a life of their own.
When you receive these sincere sounding warnings, before rushing to send the warning to everyone you know, take a minute and visit Snopes.com. This is one of the best resources for helping to reveal what is or isn't a hoax.
Remember, just because it's on the internet, that doesn't make it true.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment