Snopes co-founder revealed as serial plagiarist, planned to fill site with "traffic-generating junk"

[anon85524460]

@Skeptic

. He really needs to immediately resign from having anything to do with management of the site.

And he also need to sell his share, immediately. Cash out, walk away, donate most of it to some cause

[Slide]

SEO is challenging swimming pools for the title of most attractive nuisance.

[vernonbird]

@MikeR

back in the dark ages of the Internet (you know, before the riff raff were allowed on).

Ah, Usenet!
And just try to tell the youngsters about using BBSes to get online…FTP, Archie, etc… and web pages were text only!
They look at you like they are talking to Zapod Beeblebrox, or something.
Who misses the joys of a 1200 baud modem? I sure don’t!

Really hate to hear this about Snopes, though.

@anon85524460

Once your credibility is shot, it’s really over. Especially if your business is telling people who are telling the truth and who are liars.

Yep.
Snopes may as well shut it down.
Dammit.

@MerelyGifted

I always much preferred Truth or Fiction

Not familiar with this one. Snopes was always my go-to for a quick yea-or-nay [for non-obvious b.s.].

What’s interesting is to consult Pravda, Al Jazeera, South China News, et. al. for their takes on the same news subject. I am sure there are other outlets with interesting viewpoints. I am also sure that the Community will enlighten us all with some of those sources & I always look forward to that sort of thing.

[MerelyGifted]

I’ve been visiting Truth or Fiction almost since I got online in '98. Very reliable, and of course there’s a search function.

[Entity447B]

It’s a real shame - no, better to say it’s a really sour feeling to learn that something that it seemed the world really needed was so tainted, and the taint has destroyed it. At least there’s another place carrying on the mission

[anon33932455]

@MikeR

I remember Mikkelson from when he appeared on alt.folklore.urban

Same. He was always a bit of a jackass. It seemed like Barbara kept him sane. When that came apart it seemed like it was only a matter of time. Those were the days when giants strode the lands, though.

[RigelT]

@MerelyGifted

I’ve been visiting Truth or Fiction almost since I got online in '98. Very reliable, and of course there’s a search function.

About that…

[TripleE]

Dammit, why can’t we have nice things?!

[MrShiv]

I was also posting on a.f.u in those days. Weird that our paths (and @anon33932455) may have crossed all those years ago

[anon33932455]

I was never a Hat, but I had the pleasure of making it to some gatherings and meeting Maddie before she passed. I think there’s still a Hats email list. I’m on an email list for Apple programmers that has some of the old timers on it: Ed Rice, Simon Slavin, Dave Delaney, Bob Church etc etc.