# BS websites **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701 "2003-03-03T03:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/1 "2003-03-03T03:11:49Z")
Since we get so many students at the SDMB looking for help with their papers, I figured I’d look for help in _teaching_ my class. I’m discussing sources and credibility, and I was wondering if anybody could recommend some good hoax sites along the lines of [Bonsaikitten.com](http://Bonsaikitten.com), or really anyplace that looks credible but is giving out bogus info. Alternatively, I’d like a good juicy example of one of the major news sources getting the facts utterly wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/2 "2003-03-03T03:14:17Z")
[www.landoverbaptist.org](http://www.landoverbaptist.org) (my fav) > **[The Onion | America's Finest News Source.](https://www.theonion.com/)** > > The Onion brings you all of the latest news, stories, photos, videos and more from America's finest news source. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/3 "2003-03-03T03:15:18Z")
[Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com), one of the most credible hoaxbusting sites, has a page of [“lost legends”](http://www.snopes.com/lost/lost.htm) that are there in order to test the reader’s gullibility. The last entry is an essay on “false authority syndrome.” ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/4 "2003-03-03T03:23:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by furt \* > \*\*Alternatively, I’d like a good juicy example of one of the major news sources getting the facts utterly wrong. \*\* How about nearly all the major news outlets collectively muffing one of the year’s biggest stories? [Gore wins Florida](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/elections/electionnight.html): > [@](#): > > **8pm: Gore wins Florida** > > “Al Gore wins the state of Florida and its 25 electoral votes,” announced Peter Jennings of ABC News. “It gives him the first big-state momentum of the evening. This is the biggest state where the race has been close and the fourth biggest electoral prize.” ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/5 "2003-03-03T03:28:29Z")
It’s more blatant, but [http://www.whitehouse.org/](http://www.whitehouse.org/) (note, NOT .com) doesn’t spill the beans right away… There’s a guy in the States who makes a habit of making up outrageous news stories and seeing how far he can run with them… I can’t recall his name or any of the specific things he’s done though. Anything he was involved in outta count. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/6 "2003-03-03T03:30:38Z")
Thanks **kalt** , but I’m looking for things that people might actually believe. I don’t think The Onion fools anyone. And before someone says it, I already have [Somethingawful.com](http://Somethingawful.com) ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/7 "2003-03-03T03:32:15Z")
[www.fark.com](http://www.fark.com) [www.whitehouse.org](http://www.whitehouse.org) [www.ready.gov](http://www.ready.gov) ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/8 "2003-03-03T03:35:15Z")
And, of course, my favorite: The Daily Show! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/9 "2003-03-03T03:47:11Z")
Like [malepregnancy.com](http://www.malepregnancy.com)? Another famous one is [manbeef.com](http://www.manbeef.com) (a fake mail-order company selling human meat) but it looks like it’s not there anymore. The oldest hoax site I can remember is the Toilet Cam, supposedly a real-time webcam aimed at an office toilet. It turned out to be a static image. [Here](http://www.wps.com/about-WPS/personal/toilet/) is some info on it. [The Museum of Hoaxes](http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/index.html) web site has a collection of [hoax websites](http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoaxsites.html) which lists many others. ---
**Author:** ![davesink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/10 "2003-03-03T03:59:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by furt \* > **Thanks kalt, but I’m looking for things that people might actually believe. I don’t think The Onion fools anyone.** …except for certain members of the Beijing press corps that is. [http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/nation/3429896.htm](http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/nation/3429896.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/11 "2003-03-03T04:48:04Z")
The [Bad Astronomy](http://www.badastronomy.com) website contains a wealth of examples of astronomical conspiracy theories, as well as media errors. Debunking is provided. [A current thread](http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=4041&forum=2&68) there about the possibility that the moons of Mars got sucked out of their orbits by comet 76p in June of 2000, provides an excellent glimpse of what happens when wild theory and internet science collide. ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/12 "2003-03-03T04:57:00Z")
Not sure how old your students are, but if you think they’re old enough and your school board will allow it, the Technical Virgin site is always a hoot! [http://www.haven.org/~hauman/InfinityDog/technicalvirgin/index.html](http://www.haven.org/~hauman/InfinityDog/technicalvirgin/index.html) You don’t quite pick up on if it’s serious or not until you hit the teen testimonials page. (Warning! May not be safe for young children or residents of Utah!) ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/13 "2003-03-03T04:59:03Z")
My english prof was on the same subject last week and she gave this example: [http://www.martinlutherking.org/](http://www.martinlutherking.org/) She pointed out it fits a lot of the criteria for a reputable site. There is also a lot of sites like that involving the holocaust( i.e., it never existed). ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/14 "2003-03-03T05:41:03Z")
I’m interested in the King site – do the references check out? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bs-websites/158701/15 "2003-03-03T08:24:54Z")
This isn’t really a General Quesition with a factual answer, so I’ll move this over to MPSIMS. bibliophage moderator GQ