# Really folks, Snopes isn't exactly a new site **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822 "2006-03-17T22:52:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/41 "2006-03-20T19:13:38Z")
I did my part last week, got a forwarded email and replied to everyone with the snopes link. It was that one about pepsi hating america because they didn’t put Under God on the can. I felt good about myself, fighting ignorance is fun! ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/42 "2006-03-20T20:48:12Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I did my part last week, got a forwarded email and replied to everyone with the snopes link. It was that one about pepsi hating america because they didn’t put Under God on the can. I felt good about myself, fighting ignorance is fun! I used to hit “reply all” when I sent the snopes link, but I got too many responses saying, “Who are you? Why are you sending me this? Take me off your mailing list!” People R dum. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/43 "2006-03-21T02:23:35Z")
For all the people that are saying Snopes looks like a crappy teen’s webpage from 1998, well…Snopes has been around since about '98, so give him and Barbara a break. _laughs_ A few years they started putting the new legends on a redesigned page that doesn’t look so asstastic, but some of the older pages still have bad midis. My mom gets glurge and jokes all the time, but at least she’s smart enough to only forward me about 5 a year. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/44 "2006-03-21T03:14:34Z")
Seems like everyone in this thread stands up for Snopes, but did you know that 98% of teenagers won’t stand up for Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/45 "2006-03-21T04:21:44Z")
Tell me what happened to his legs first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/46 "2006-03-21T07:03:53Z")
It is a well-known fact that Snopes is funded by the Trilateral Commission and is dedicated to spreading doubt, cynicism and disrespect about our American institutions. Please pass this on to 100 of your best and most gulli- ah, responsible friends, knowing that if you fail to do so, Hillary Clinton will send her black helicopters to rip the American flag off your flagpole. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/47 "2006-03-21T19:07:00Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > Hillary Clinton will send her black helicopters to rip the American flag off your flagpole. But only if there’s a ball at the top, which can be engaged remotely to use its built-in razor blade to shred the flag. And if the flag has fringe, your bank account is already owned by the Fractional Reserve Bank, a Delaware corporation just like the CIA and the NSA, and you can only become a Sovereign American by writing ‘I divorce thee’ three times on a 1040EZ form and faxing it _upside-down_ to the IRS headquarters before the second full moon after the third Monday before April 15. Don’t forget to do it _upside-down_: I can’t tell you how many people have joined the Knights of Pythias by accident. ---
**Author:** ![samm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@samm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/48 "2006-03-21T20:23:22Z")
I thought “reply to all” was a courtesy not a humiliation. That way you can save everyone else from forwarding the misinformation. Just this morning I replied to all that no, you will not get cancer if you microwave your food in a plastic bowl or freeze water in a plastic water bottle. Even if John Hopkins says so. The worst ever was from one of my instructors who wanted me to sign my name to the bottom of the email and send it along to others to help support Dobson keep religious broadcasting on the air. I realize not everyone knows about Snopes, but I just googled Dobson’s name and he had a whole page of his website dedicated to fighting this hoax. He even called people that perpetuated the hoax stupid and un-christian (paraphrased) so I replied to everyone with that quote and link and felt very smug. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/49 "2006-03-22T09:28:23Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > It is a well-known fact that Snopes is funded by the Trilateral Commission and is dedicated to spreading doubt, cynicism and disrespect about our American institutions. > > Please pass this on to 100 of your best and most gulli- ah, responsible friends, knowing that if you fail to do so, Hillary Clinton will send her black helicopters to rip the American flag off your flagpole. > > Thank you. Oh dear sweet Og, don’t give the glurgists any more ideas. If someone DOES start a chain letter consisting of a whole bunch of B.S. accusations about Snopes, where in the world are we going to link to debunk it in the reply? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/50 "2006-03-22T10:25:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > To be fair, SOME charitable organizations have started collecting pull tabs, or some companies have been donating money, after the massive ULs, just so people aren’t doing something for nothing. I can’t remember where I hear that though, sorry. > [@adhemar](#): > > Well actually, you are only partially right. The Shriners (an international organization) as a part of their charity work collects pull tabs that they take to the recylclers and goes to support thier burn center. The reason they collect just the pull tabs is it is the only part that is pure aluminum. I am sure other organizations do the same. [Ronald McDonald House](http://www.rmhc.org/content/rmhc/index/programs/ronald_mcdonald_house/pop_tab_collection.html) also collects the tabs. Makes more sense to me to keep the entire can until you build up a supply, then cash them in and give that money, but maybe McDonalds gets a better rate on the tabs. 😛 My cousin sent me one email about Target hating the military, then another about some other piece of stupidity, I hit Reply All to both and sent everyone the Snopes link. Haven’t received another piece of email from her since. So no more urban legends or disgusting jokes from her for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/51 "2006-03-22T12:25:40Z")
Every time I read Snopes I thank Og that I have a family of critical thinkers. The only UL I’ve ever received from my parents was the one that said [Doctors generally recommend that one attempt to rhythmically cough during a heart attack to increase the chance of surviving it](http://www.snopes.com/medical/healthyself/coughcpr.asp) (the explanation goes on to say that it _could_ help, but only if you knew exactly what you were doing, and even then you could end up making matters worse). They were happy to receive the Snopes link and shared it with the rest of the family. ---
**Author:** ![PinkMarabou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PinkMarabou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkMarabou)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/52 "2006-03-22T13:31:32Z")
I’ve had to send one of my friends Snopes links twice now. The most recent one, I went ahead and did a “reply to all” with the link. It had to be one of the most stupid chain letters I ever got, something about how unpatriotic Target is and how they’re really owned by the French (this friend is a righty-tighty though who is convinced the bird flu is going to kill her and her family - thanks Fox News). The first one I got from her was about Jane Fonda and the little pieces of paper from the POW’s. :rolleyes: I’ve gotten into the habit that anytime something sounds odd, check Snopes first. Then send the link to the sender. A coworker of mine sent me one about a year ago (hasn’t sent another weird one since) talking about how the tampon manufacturers have added something that will make you sterile or kill you or something. I forwarded the link, she wrote back saying she was glad it wasn’t true and thanked me. I don’t get very many of these anymore. I think people are catching on. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/53 "2006-03-22T15:01:33Z")
I had thought I was off my sister’s glurge maillist for the past couple of years. Three weeks ago, however, I received a forward from her under the title, **“I’ve seen this before, thought it was worth sharing again.”** I was prompted to send her the following: > [@kaylasdad99 to his sister](#): > > Actually, it turns out it wasn’t worth sharing even once, except as an exercise in bearing false witness. > > [http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/marines.asp](http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/marines.asp) > > Email forwards of this nature have a special name: glurge. If it’s not too much trouble, could you leave us off any lists that you send this kind of stuff to? > > I don’t particularly wish to get confrontational about this. Please note that I’m replying to you alone, rather than to the entire list of original recipients. I’ll leave it to your discretion whether you wish to provide the above link to the people you gave that original email to. I note that if she did elect to set the record straight with all of the folks on the (quite lengthy) mailing list, she did not make us privy to the correction. I can only hope I guilted her into doing the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/54 "2006-03-24T22:32:11Z")
Let me belatedly, but enthusiastically join in this pitting. My cousin just sent me one so old it has whiskers–the Neiman Marcus $250.00 Cookie story. I gave up directing her to Snopes years ago. Sigh! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/55 "2006-03-24T22:57:17Z")
What drives me nuts are people liek **even sven** mentioned- the ones who are otherwise really bright, smart people who end up forwarding this shit. It’s like the internet is their Kryptonite. Do people trust the Internet _more_ than the books we’re not supposed to beleive everything in? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/56 "2006-03-24T23:09:49Z")
In a small victory for the fight against ignorance, one of my co-workers now asks me everytime someone sends her something that sounds off if I can check it out for her. 🙂 I feel all warm and fuzzy. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/57 "2006-03-24T23:38:47Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > Well actually, you are only partially right. The Shriners (an international organization) as a part of their charity work collects pull tabs that they take to the recylclers and goes to support thier burn center. The reason they collect just the pull tabs is it is the only part that is pure aluminum. I am sure other organizations do the same. Cite? > **[Aluminum can](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_can)** > > An aluminum can (British English: aluminium can), sometimes erroneously referred to as a "tin can", is a single-use container for packaging made primarily of aluminum. > It is commonly used for food and beverages such as milk and soup but also for products such as oil, chemicals, and other liquids. Global production is 180 billion annually and constitutes the largest single use of aluminum globally. > Use of aluminum in cans began in 1957. Aluminum offers greater malleability, resulting in ease of m... According to the article, aluminum cans are “aluminum with about 1% manganese and 1% magnesium to give it strength and formability”. According to the article it is not true that the pull tabs are pure aluminum: “The lid for the can is usually an aluminum alloy with magnesium. The lids are stamped out from a flat sheet and formed in a single operation. The pull tab is made a similar alloy, and the tiny rivet connecting the two is a different, softer alloy. These are assembled before the lid is attached to the can.” And even if it were true that the lids were pure aluminum, why would that make them more valuable to recycle…so much more valuable that you’re better off throwing away the rest of the can? It doesn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/58 "2006-03-26T17:49:50Z")
Actually, I assume these people are getting double bang for the buck by collecting the pull tabs AND turning in the remaining portion of the can for the deposit (in states which have deposit laws, like N.Y. does). ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/59 "2006-03-26T19:23:28Z")
Maybe smart people are doing that, but I’ve known dumbasses who actually believed the tabs were worth money and the cans weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822/60 "2006-03-27T15:06:31Z")
I have a former friend who I now consider an idiot since she indiscriminately forwards email to all - she won’t take me off her list - and doesn’t remove all the previous email addresses or messages. To get to whatever she sends, we have to go through a page and a half of other addresses and snarky comments and ‘company privacy policy information’. I’ve sent her Snopes links but she still doesn’t get it. She seems to love sharing “bad news”. Arrrgh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-folks-snopes-isnt-exactly-a-new-site/348822.md?page=4)