Thursday, November 13, 2008

Beware the blogs

Our perceptions are shaped by our expectations. We believe what we want to believe and disbelieve what we do not want to believe. Hence, rumors that people want to be true can spread very quickly on the Internet and are hard to stamp out. Gullibility on the Internet wasexploited by a couple hoaxers who created a fictitious character, Martin Eisenstadt, to spread false rumors.

They say the blame lies not with them but with shoddiness in the traditional news media and especially the blogosphere.

Mr. Gorlin, 39, argued that Eisenstadt was no more of a joke than half the bloggers or political commentators on the Internet or television.

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