Facebook Hoaxsters and Satirists, Bring Your
A-Game to Cheezburger
On the surface, Facebook’s anti-hoax campaign seems like a good thing. I can’t remember the number of times I facepalmed at watching genuine outrage over an incredulous hoax or a rather good piece of satire.
The problem is that Facebook has become a quasi-newspaper and I am glad they are taking their responsibility seriously and their non-removal approach is appropriate. Clearly Facebook is a breeding ground of rumors and hoaxes. It’s so much easier to click share than actually look at the details. The biology of human nature has always favored the visceral fraud over the plain truth.
But that also makes good entertainment. And I don’t need protection from myself.
How do you separate satire from a hoax? Where’s the line between hyperbole and fakery? What about a rumor that ends up turning out to be true? What about facts that are disupted by the masses? Is that going to be labeled with “this story contains false information”?
Most people who fall for a hoax are basically learning to walk by tripping and falling. And yes, I do make exceptions for hoaxes that puts people’s safety in jeopardy and I do make a distinction between a hoax and a scam. But most online hoaxes are just harmless fun at someone’s ego expense. It’s a teachable moment.
At Cheezburger, there is no such problem. We have no journalistic aspirations. We don’t pretend to be your news source (save for our editorially-driven sites like The Daily What and Know Your Meme who will actually investigate hoaxes and report on them.) We don’t have a seriousness problem. And if you’re getting your serious news through memes and lolcats, well, um, good for you.
So entertain us. Bring your best hoaxes and satire. Entertain us.
