Saturday, April 13, 2013

Researching Urban Legends and Internet Hoaxes

Urban Legends have been around for years.  But, what used to be spread by word-of-mouth, or through "chain letters" is now spread at speeds approaching the speed of light via the Internet.

There are several websites that can be used to verify something you hear or read on the Internet--in fact, they're a good way to verify news stories as well.

The following websites are sources of information that can "either confirm or deny" the latest gossipy email making the rounds:

Snopes.com  Run by the Mikkelsen's, it has become the go to source for information on Intenet hoaxes and Urban Legends.  I have to say, however, that there is a decided Liberal flavor to their research.  Also, visiting the website also will subject you to unwanted popups,

Truthorfiction.com This website provides the same type of information as snopes.com, but is more neutral in its findings .  I Highly Recommend It.

Opensecrets.org This website is a great resource for information regarding money in politics.  You can do a search by state, or even zip code to determine who the major contributors are to your Congressional representatives.  You can also find information as to who are the richest members of Congress, etc.  Again, Highly Recommended.

Factcheck.org.  Another website dealing with political information.  It is a good read, but you must be discerning.  It is supported by liberal organizations such as the Annenberg Foundation, which can affect their objectivity.

The important thing to remember here is that knowledge is power. Oppressive governments have always worked to control the information available to its citizens, so it behooves us to "search all things--hold fast that which is good:,

The more informed you are, the more likely you are to understand "the rest of the story" and can act accordingly.

Smitty


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