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We can't resist a good story... or say "I knew it!" when it's proven wrong. With today's technology, it can be hard to tell the different between fact and fiction. The internet, social networking sites and email make it quicker and easier to "spread the word" about the latest heart-warming story, amazing photo, health alert or criminal tactic. Not everything we read is true, but the propagation of hoaxes can overshadow real stories and events.
For example, can you tell at a glance if these widely circulated stories and alerts are true?
1. Your email provider or social network has an over-crowded system and is trying to cull unused accounts. You need to forward or post a message to prove that your account is still active.
2. The latest car-jacking tactic is to put a flyer on your rear windshield -- forcing you to get out of your car to remove it. With your keys still in the ignition and your purse on the seat, thieves can assault you or steal your car.
3. According to a presenter at a medical conference, you can tell if someone has had a stroke by using the "Smile Test" (asking them to raise both arms, smile, and speak a simple sentence).
4. A woman shares her heart attack experience and warns others that the symptoms can be subtle and easy to miss -- especially in women.
5. Someone posing as a phone company technician calls and asks you to dial "90#" or "09#" as part of a system check. Dialling these numbers lets the scammer make long distance phone calls that will be charged back to you.
6. Aspartame has been proven to cause cancer, brain tumours, systemic lupus and multiple sclerosis.
7. Thieves can record the signals sent used by your car's remote keyless entry device and use them to break into your car.
8. Japanese farmers have developed a square-shaped watermelon that will take up less room on shelves.
9. Neiman-Marcus charged a woman $250 for a cookie recipe from their restaurant. When they refused to reverse the charge, she typed up the recipe and circulated it over the internet.
10. Irena Sendler saved 2500 Jewish children during the Holocaust by posing as a nurse to smuggle them out of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Think you know the "truth"? Keep reading.
Malicious intent or all-in-good-fun?
The "anyone-can-publish" and "copy-and-paste" nature of the internet makes it easy to propagate rumours, false information, scams and hoaxes. There's certainly good reason to be cautious about what we read, but fiction isn't always intended to be harmful.
As with any medium, the internet is a way for artists and writers to entertain others or make a social commentary. A hoax can be an attempt at fraud, a prank or a publicity stunt -- but other times it can be a statement about how we use media to spread false information. Sometimes the information is simply meant to be entertainment, but not everyone gets the joke.