Just how gullible are people? A proposal.

[Rapscallion]

Been pondering this for a little while.

Could we, as a distinct group, create an Internet rumour that people out there would believe? That they would pass around as fact via email and via copy/paste on other forums?

As to 'why', this would be for research purposes only, but it would be fascinating to see if it spread.

Could we do this? Could we come up with something?

Rapscallion

[HYHYBT]

Just please don't make it anything dangerous, like the one going around now that you should throw flour (a flammable powder capable of exploding) on fires to put them out.

[DrFaroohk]

What type of rumor? A scientific one like a duck's quack has no echo? Or a celebrity rumor like the one about rob Schneider and home depot?

It'd have to be one people haven't thought of yet.

[Greenday]

Gotta be scientific. Who cares about retarded celebs?

What about the fact that the moon has been getting closer every orbit and will slowly speed up before hitting the Earth?

Or what about how having sex with tons of people is actually good for your mental health?

[DrFaroohk]

How about there's a link between some cancer-fighting chemical in your body and the imbibing copious amounts of vicodin?

[Rapscallion]

How about there's a link between some cancer-fighting chemical in your body and the imbibing copious amounts of vicodin?

HYHYBT makes a very good point about it not being something that could be harmfull. I wouldn't want to be responsible for something like that.

However, something fun - I could get very much behind that.

Do we reckon it could work?

Rapscallion

[Nyoibo]

Of course it could work, most of the internet mems that started around "facts" and most of the bull emails people send around were started by people for one of 3 reasons, sex, money or shits 'n' giggles.

I say we do it, it would be interesting to see how long it takes to come back around to us again.

[Boozy]

What about the fact that the moon has been getting closer every orbit and will slowly speed up before hitting the Earth?

That's a good one.

Most people don't know enough about science to know any different, nor are they interested enough to fact-check.

The only problem with it is that it isn't scandalous enough to spread quickly.

[Rapscallion]

Depends on how you phrase it, I guess - the DHMO stuff is pretty good that way. Any way we could make it into some innocuous-seeming calculation to mean huge numbers, yet look relatively small?

Rapscallion

[gremcint]

I heard another forum was already trying this.

[Ree]

I heard another forum was already trying this.

Or is that just a rumor?

[Andara Bledin]

Honestly, I'd be shocked if it hadn't been done in dozens of other forums before.

^-.-^

[telecom_goddess]

Make up a new Rapture date Just kidding....

[Lace Neil Singer]

Been there, done that. On the now defunct Kissonline forum, I and a few others spread a rumour that the guy from the Darkness was replacing Paul Stanley in Kiss. We agreed that if anyone PMed us and asked us direct if it were true, we'd tell them straight... but no-one ever did and a lot of people believed it, despite the fact that we cited no sources and simply said that we'd heard it from a friend in the business.

Fact is, a lot of people really are gullible and will believe almost anything they read in a newspaper or on the internet and won't even bother to check.

Of course, if you want to do a similar thing, you'd be better off including a link to make it seem more legit. Just use something like this: http://www.fuwt.com/

Example: http://www.fuwt.com/12.php?first=Justin&last=Bieber

Or this: http://www.fakeawish.com/

Example: http://tom.cruise.mediafetcher.com/n...ltercation.php

Or this: http://www.noob.co.in/

Example: http://www.noob.co.in/Lady/Gaga/New%20York/superbowl

[HYHYBT]

Probably also a good idea not to make it something libelous, as that can get expensive.