This Is Fake News Too

It’s disturbing. When we forward stuff it implies factual endorsement. Nowadays people don’t take that seriously. They want to be first. They care less about being right.

Facebook chat window
Facebook chat window

I got it again! It was an email, always forwarded through Facebook, about a virus. You might have received it too.

DO NOT ACCEPT A FRIEND REQUEST FROM A CHRISOPHER DAVIES AND JESSICA DAVIES THEY ARE HACKERS. TELL EVERY 1 ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM, HE’LL BE ON YOUR LIST TOO. HE’LL FIGURE OUT UR COMPUTER’S ID AND ADDRESS , SO COPY & PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF U DON’T CARE. Please also
Tell all contacts from your list not to accept a video called the “Dance of the Pope”. It is a virus that formats your mobile. Beware it is very dangerous. They announced it today on the radio. Fwd this msg to as many as you can!

This is five or six times well intentioned people have been recruited to be ‘mules’ in this hoax.

Here’s the problem. These people seem less interested in the hoax and more in being first! Without exception they have forwarded the message without taking ten seconds to check if it’s real.

CHRISOPHER DAVIES AND JESSICA DAVIES Google Search results
CHRISOPHER DAVIES AND JESSICA DAVIES Google Search results

Enter the two names and Google delivers a swift response. All the links are to hoax checker sites. It’s the same for “Dance of the Pope.’

Alas, it is only the people who don’t understand this who do this! Go ahead, reread the last sentence. I did.

There’s no universal poison which “formats your mobile.” This is the kind of thing mobile operating systems were designed to prevent. There’s no magic revelation of “UR COMPUTER’S ID AND ADDRESS,” possible through Facebook. That’s why all those “See who’s looking at your profile” pages were scams too.

When I pointed out it was all untrue:

I was just forwarding the message like I was asked to do geoff sorry

Someone, please hold me back. This is why this BS continues to spread.

In August Forbes famously posted an article tiled, “59 Percent Of You Will Share This Article Without Even Reading It.” Of course it happens. People ask questions about my blog posts that are in the blog posts… just farther than they read.

It’s disturbing. When we forward stuff it implies factual endorsement. Nowadays people don’t take that seriously. They want to be first. They care less about being right.

The person who triggered this blog post probably won’t read it.

I will never do this again and I will be deleting you thanks

I have a dollar which says she never tells her friends she sent them something bogus. They’ll be forwarding this email forever.

7 thoughts on “This Is Fake News Too”

  1. Thank you, Geoff, for saying it!!! I, too, am so tired of “post this or else” or “like and say amen” ……… I wish it would stop. The garbage that people forward to me or post on FB without even giving it a moments thought to consider if it makes sense. Oy.

  2. Love love love this!! I have given up telling people that “likes” will not save a life or donate money. That just because it says “share” doesn’t mean you should. And a simple google search or snopes search should give you what you need to know if it’s true. Because I’ve done it over and over and the same people I’ve said “hey this is fake, hit up google before you share” continue to share any and everything that garners that “need” to share.

  3. As a middle school teacher, I know well how easily misinformation is spread, more so with the aid of technology. But we expect this of children and teach them as they grow to be information saavy. However, I continue to be alarmed by the ignorance of mature generations (I’m including my mother and her Boomer friends, as well as Gen X and Y, and on down) who should know better, spreading foolish, misleading or simply dishonest articles and warnings, and knowing as I see these things, they believe it themselves (and in some cases, have lead me to block or delete them on social media).

    We shouldn’t need (or rely on) Facebook to sort out fake news sources for us. It is quite simple to take an extra step or two to verify any information on line by checking credible sources or using Snopes/Hoax Slayer when applicable. Everyone has an obligation to be a responsible digital citizen.

    Please pardon me now, as I have to put sliced onions in my socks because I am trying to ward of a cold. 😉

  4. Yes! Just because it’s on FB, doesn’t mean it’s true! And you’re right about all the “shares” and forwards. I only do that if it means something to my friends or myself.

  5. I never get emails like this so I’m now left wondering…do I have really smart friends? Or do I have friends who don’t care?

  6. I will not listen to mainstream media anymore due to fact it’s slanted against Donald Trump. I simply now unfollow and/or block FB threads/postings offensive to me. We no longer have respectful anchors.

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