Hi there friends
Let’s talk about that hoax you’ve been sharing all over Facebook! Not sure what I’m talking about? Here, let me remind you…
Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from tomorrow. Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. It costs nothing for a simple copy and paste, better safe than sorry. Channel 13 News talked about the change in Facebook’s privacy policy.
I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future. With this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute).
NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. DO NOT SHARE. Copy and paste to be on the safe side.
This last week, my Facebook feed has turned into the stuff that nightmares are made of. The only thing I hate worse than grammar being butchered, is seeing one of my friends being gullible and sharing rubbish. It got SO bad that even FACEBOOK had to step in and let everyone know that it’s a pile of poop that you’re all copy pasting to your timeline!
So I’m going to point out some clues that might point to it being a HOAX
- They are often written in the worst English possible. This is a huge sign that it doesn’t really come from Facebook or Times Magazine or any other official place. Those places hire people to spell check and proof read and edit anything that goes out.
- It usually requires you to share or copy paste some absurd and ridiculous thing. “If you share this you will win a toaster and a trip to New York” – Nope, not going to happen, I mean who needs a toaster on a trip to New York anyway? And just so you know, even sharing to win for a trusted company is against Facebook rules and Facebook penalises anyone who runs a competition that requires you to share or like any pages. I kid you not!! So don’t share it.
- If you copy or paste something to your timeline then a child will be spared from death by cancer. I know that you know this is rubbish and yet some people still share it. Don’t share these kinds of things. It’s just not cool Usually, this is started by a page that wants to gain more likes, so they get you to share this “heartbreaking” story. Often, the kid you’re praying for isn’t even who you think it is.
- The same goes for share this post and a child will receive money somewhere in some obscure place. Nope, Nope and NOPE. Just don’t do it. You are probably helping scammers farm for likes for their pages.
- Often, the post pulls at your heart-strings and insists that you share immediately because a child or dog or someone’s long-lost blah blah blah is missing. Sometimes, a genuine image is used but here’s the thing, it’s from ten years ago and that person is no longer missing or perhaps never even was. They appeal to your good nature and get you to do the nice thing but instead, you’re spreading rubbish.
What to do if you suspect it is a hoax
These are just a few ways to spot if something might be a hoax but the fastest and quickest way to confirm your suspicions is to search in google using the title (of the hoax) and “hoax” and if it is a hoax then within 0.3 seconds google will probably confirm your suspicions.
OR you can just go to the website Snopes.com or Hoax-slayer.com for a list of the latest trending hoaxes.
Please don’t be gullible and share rubbish while high fiving scammers! It’s not cool. Do your part, it takes seconds to verify a story and remember, not everything shared on the internet is true!
[bctt tweet=”If you think it might be a HOAX, do a quick google search before sharing #HoaxSlaying” username=”tyrannyofpink”]
Ooo, my favorite is the one that “this month has 5 Fridays / Saturdays / Sundays and this only happens ever 823 years” – people, please. Go look at a calendar. It happens a couple times a year! I like to tell them to not look at the calendar for this or that month/year.
Most importantly, if you join Facebook you waiver any ‘rights’ you have – their T’s & C’s say that they have ultimate control. So why people think sharing a post will all of a sudden take the power back from FB, I have no idea?! You signed you, you signed away your ‘rights’, end of story!
So right! I honestly think the problem stems from people not READING what they are signing up for. Just happily agreeing and clicking yes on all those pop ups that tell you you’ve sold your soul. If you go into it with eyes wide open, it’s hardly going to be a huge shock is it. Totally agree with you.
even going back one click, often shows up in their comments as a hoax.
Recently I saw a shopped image of a HUGE shark off Knysna.
Yes, you’re absolutely right! People are just mindlessly sharing things without thinking for even a second about what it is. The “scary shark” images rear their heads out the water every now and then and EVERYONE seems to love those!