SURFING THE WEB

Truth or Fiction?

By: Dick Travis

As we surf the web, many times we are confronted or even excited by information that seems to be shocking , alarming or even outrageous.

Have you ever passed on this type of information to your friends only to find out that it was really just a hoax?

Well, embarrassingly , I’ve been duped many times. How can you resist a particular political or social need? It seems so easy to just add your name to a list of hundreds of other people who think exactly like you or want to change a particularly bad situation in the world or want to see a political philosophy accepted by your friends.

Or, what about an almost unbelievable photo of anyone or anything? How can you tell if it is really true--knowing the ease of altering photos by digital means?

Most of the hoaxes you will receive will come through your email and many times from your best friend! Hoaxes have become so popular that there is now a Museum of Hoaxes on the web. Check it out to see the doctored photographs and take the hoax test. I got 7 right out of 10!!!

Better yet, take their “gullibility test” and see how gullible or skeptical you are. I did not do well. I believed 5 out of 10 hoaxes and also only believed 5 out of 10 true stores!!!

That is why I tend to use a website called TRUTH OR FICTION to straighten me out!!!

There are many other websites you can find that may be just as good or even better to assist your search for truth, such as, Urban Legends, Virus Hoaxes and Netlore and one of my favorites for documenting long-time hoaxes—Cliff Pickover’s Encyclopedia of Hoaxes. The latter site gives you a new altered photo on each visit.

One of the world’s most famous myths or hoaxes is the Loch Ness Monster. Being gullible in nature, my wife and I set out to see the Loch Ness Monster a few years back—I am still working on some digital trickery to prove it’s existence. The lake was beautiful, however, there was an eerie “feeling” that came over me.

Why not force yourself to visit “Truth or Fiction” at least once a month to review what is currently “going around”? If you just catch one of the “serious” hoaxes on “medical advice”, you will have made your day.

Surfing the World Wide Web can sometimes be disconcerting and even hazardous to your health, so be sure to check out TRUTH OR FICTION to ensure that you don’t crash on the information highway.

Email me at dtravis2@cox.net or call at (760) 724-4091