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9:20:00 AM EST
Hearing More talking downstairs
A Hoax or Not?
The other day I posted a entry about an AOL Journaler who had died in a car crash. Now, a couple of days later, some AOL Journalers are wondering if the entry -- and indeed the Journal of the woman purported to be in the cash -- isn't a hoax. And if it is, of course, they're not very happy about it.
If it is a hoax, it wouldn't be the first in a blog or journal. The nature of blogs and journals is such that if one is inclined, one can create one that's entirely (or even partly) fictional. Such an idea is even the plot of my friend Pamie's novel Why Girls Are Weird -- in the story, the main character creates a fictional version of her life, and has to deal with the consequences when her readers discover the gap between the online journal and her real life.
What does this mean for you? Only that you should always remember that most of the time, what you know about bloggers and journalers is what they choose to say. To be sure, most (indeed, nearly all) blogs and journals fairly accurately represent the people writing them. But every now and then, they might not.
As for me, I don't know whether the AOL Journal entry in question is a hoax or not, but I'd be pleased to learn that an AOL Journaler did not, in fact, die the other day.
Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |
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I don't know whether the AOL Journal entry in question is a hoax or not, but I'd be pleased to learn that an AOL Journaler did not, in fact, die the other day.
I second that!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it was a big pile of bull because that was a very sad situation! And I never bought into it anyway. Love your journal you are doing a good job here! Thank you very much. http://journals.aol.com/redhdka/AOLEmotions/ -
Only time will tell on this hoax. I just know comments are being deleted that deal with it...john
11/16/03 3:13 AM