Internet hoaxes you've seen?

[fester30]

What are some internet hoaxes you have seen, either through websites, social media, or email?

I have two examples I've seen this week.

1.  A Congressman gets 100% salary as retirement for the rest of his/her life after serving just one term.
     Truth: Congressional retirement plan vests after 5 years, and the amount is determined by an equation that uses a percentage of final salary that is determined by the number of years served.  They do not get to start collecting until they are 55 unless they serve more than 25 years.  A term in the House is two years, so one term doesn't even vest a retirement.  A single term in the Senate does vest a retirement (6 year term) but again it's not 100% of their final salary for the rest of their life.

2.  Denzel Washington visited the Fisher House (a place where families can stay for free while their soldier is at the military hospital due to some war-time injury).  He asked how much one cost, and immediately got out his checkbook to write a check for that amount.
     Truth: He did visit the Fisher House.  He made a commitment at the time to support the cause, and later made a sizable donation.  It was not enough to pay for a new Fisher House, and the Fisher House will not release the amount.  Mr. Washington did NOT write a check on the spot.  Who knows if he even carries a checkbook around with him.

It's still awesome what Mr. Washington did, but considering the Congressional retirement myth, these stories go viral and lose enough truth that in some cases they can even be dangerous.

[philosoraptor]

That stupid hoax regarding brooms being able to stand up on their own only one night a year.  It has been surfacing on Facebook.

[Dobermonster]

That stupid hoax regarding brooms being able to stand up on their own only one night a year.  It has been surfacing on Facebook.

I've seen this one on someone's FB page. All the comments were along the lines of, "OMG, that is creepy!" I wanted to post, "No . . . that is physics". But I didn't. Because I'm nice and not at all snarky. 

[Melmoth]

The idea that the static in mobile/cell phones can blow up petrol/gas stations. This started as an internet hoax and it's been so successful you often get signs at petrol stations now, saying to turn them off.

Truth is, there's no hard evidence that it poses any risk, though plenty of studies have been done to look for some. Mobile phone's do indeed generate static but no more than the friction in your clothes, which is much more likely to ignite the gas. that's also why, incidentally, you're not supposed to get in and out of your car too many times to refuel - more shuffling about, more friction, more static.

[Ali]

Pretty much all of these.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

My aunt is so foaming at the mouth anti-Obama that she literally sends every single Anti-Obama email forward that she receives to every single person in her address book.  Or anyway, she used to.  I think I finally got removed from her list after like the eleventy-billionth time I replied to all with a link to snopes and a sarcastically upbeat message ("Good news all!  I did a little research and found out that Obama is not the Anti-Christ!  I know I, for one, will be sleeping a little more soundly tonight....") 

[Asmodean]

I've seen this one on someone's FB page. All the comments were along the lines of, "OMG, that is creepy!" I wanted to post, "No . . . that is physics". But I didn't. Because I'm nice and not at all snarky. 

The Asmo is spiteful and peevish, so he most certainly would comment and mock. He's also not on FB though, so... No luck 

[DeterminedJuliet]

The whole "Bonsai Kitten" hoax. I remember people freaaaaking over that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai_Kitten

Oh hey, and on some further research, you can buy a "bonsai kitten" from ThinkGeek!

[The Magic Pudding]

Pretty much all of these.
My aunt is so foaming at the mouth anti-Obama

I don't understand the American system, a president is elected "HE" is expected to fix all that is wrong.
He presents legislation but it must be passed by houses he doesn't control.

I'm crossing my fingers for a benevolent mesmerist.

[Ali]

I don't understand the American system, a president is elected "HE" is expected to fix all that is wrong.

In fairness, you're missing some nuance here.  The "blame" depends almost entirely on whether or not you support the current president.  For example, when Bush was in office, everything wrong with the world (from my POV) could be almost directly tied back to his failings as a human being.  Bush caused a war, the economic collapse, and also is the reason I get motion sickness on boats and while sitting in the backseat on mountain roads.  He's also the reason I can't stick to a diet, the reason I get really dry skin in the winter, the reason I bite my nails, and the reason I didn't do the dishes last night and now have to deal with extra gross crusty dishes.  Down with Bush!!!!!

On the other hand, Obama isn't at fault for all for the fact that we still (STILL!) don't have single payer healthcare and all of the wealth in this country is controlled by the 1%.  That's the stupid Republicans fault.

Do you see how this works?  It's nuanced. 

[hismikeness]

My aunt is so foaming at the mouth anti-Obama that she literally sends every single Anti-Obama email forward that she receives to every single person in her address book.  Or anyway, she used to.  I think I finally got removed from her list after like the eleventy-billionth time I replied to all with a link to snopes and a sarcastically upbeat message ("Good news all!  I did a little research and found out that Obama is not the Anti-Christ!  I know I, for one, will be sleeping a little more soundly tonight....") 

You should show your aunt this site. It seems apropos. I was on an email list of my mom's that had many anti-Obama, anti-left, anti-this and that email forwards that were so ridiculous that I started to become frustrated. I asked her to remove me from the list, but not to delete my email address entirely, because I still communicate with her via email from time to time. Further, I asked that if she had a forward that she felt I would be interested in specifically, to please send it on, but I didn't want to be on the "forward list."

As to the OP, I like the one that comes around every so often about Mars is going to be closer to the Earth than it has been for xxx number of years and will look as big as the full moon in the sky. It makes me shake my head the number of people that actually believe that.

[Firebird]

The idea that the static in mobile/cell phones can blow up petrol/gas stations. This started as an internet hoax and it's been so successful you often get signs at petrol stations now, saying to turn them off.

Truth is, there's no hard evidence that it poses any risk, though plenty of studies have been done to look for some. Mobile phone's do indeed generate static but no more than the friction in your clothes, which is much more likely to ignite the gas. that's also why, incidentally, you're not supposed to get in and out of your car too many times to refuel - more shuffling about, more friction, more static.

Mythbusters actually looked into this, and of course disproved it
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-cell-phone-gas-station-minimyth.html

I used to always get those damn emails about the "sector 0 virus" or some other such fake things that would destroy your computer on some arbitrary date in the future, or about some email forward about Osama Bin Laden which would destroy your computer if you opened it. Snopes is your friend there.

[Amicale]

The whole "Bonsai Kitten" hoax. I remember people freaaaaking over that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai_Kitten

Oh hey, and on some further research, you can buy a "bonsai kitten" from ThinkGeek!

lol yes, I remember this. I also remember being shocked and horrified when I first saw it. Then again, I was only 14 or 15 when that hit the web, and if you looked up gullible in the dictionary, you might have seen my picture.

[Ihateyoumike]

lol yes, I remember this. I also remember being shocked and horrified when I first saw it. Then again, I was only 14 or 15 when that hit the web, and if you looked up gullible in the dictionary, you might have seen my picture.

Probably... Except that gullible was removed from the dictionary a while back.

[Amicale]

lol yes, I remember this. I also remember being shocked and horrified when I first saw it. Then again, I was only 14 or 15 when that hit the web, and if you looked up gullible in the dictionary, you might have seen my picture.

Probably... Except that gullible was removed from the dictionary a while back.

It was?!? Who the heck did that?  *races off to see*

[Buddy]

lol yes, I remember this. I also remember being shocked and horrified when I first saw it. Then again, I was only 14 or 15 when that hit the web, and if you looked up gullible in the dictionary, you might have seen my picture.

Probably... Except that gullible was removed from the dictionary a while back.

It was?!? Who the heck did that?  *races off to see*

I really hope that was sarcasm.