Thursday, December 15, 2005
This one's too easy, must be a baited blogger trap
Sometimes a story is just too good to be true, from a blogging perspective. Like a bag of gold just lying on your front doorstep -- but with a little wire leading behind a nearby bush. So tempting.
Take this example. This is such an obvious setup that I am practically positive it is an MSM trap laid to snare unsuspecting bloggers eager for an easy post.
They lure us in with the ready-to-go headline. Then they wait, watching, as blogger after blogger takes the bait, until finally -- SLAM!! -- the jaws of the trap spring shut on the hapless would-be journalists, all unaware -- until it is too late -- the story was a fake all along.
And that flushing sound, ladies and gentleman, is your blogging credibility, swirling clockwise (or counter-clockwise, depending on hemisphere) down the plumbing. Guard your reputation well. Resist easy temptation like this:
Irish police issue chicken hazard alert to motorists
I'm fighting it. Can't give in to the urge... must preserve credibility, whatever I have left at least... Want to comment... Have to... restrain myself... Can't hold back much longer... Better hit submit... before it's too late... Oh no...
Why did the chicken cross.... urghhhhh
If you really, really liked this -- or even really, really hated it -- there's lots more:
Take this example. This is such an obvious setup that I am practically positive it is an MSM trap laid to snare unsuspecting bloggers eager for an easy post.
They lure us in with the ready-to-go headline. Then they wait, watching, as blogger after blogger takes the bait, until finally -- SLAM!! -- the jaws of the trap spring shut on the hapless would-be journalists, all unaware -- until it is too late -- the story was a fake all along.
And that flushing sound, ladies and gentleman, is your blogging credibility, swirling clockwise (or counter-clockwise, depending on hemisphere) down the plumbing. Guard your reputation well. Resist easy temptation like this:
Irish police issue chicken hazard alert to motorists
There are more details if you click the link, but do they really matter?
Irish police issued a traffic hazard alert warning motorists to be [sic] beware of chickens crossing the road.
I'm fighting it. Can't give in to the urge... must preserve credibility, whatever I have left at least... Want to comment... Have to... restrain myself... Can't hold back much longer... Better hit submit... before it's too late... Oh no...
Why did the chicken cross.... urghhhhh
