Snopes
 |
| Snopes logo | |
Type of site | Reference pages |
|---|---|
| Owner | Barbara and David P. Mikkelson |
| Created by | Barbara and David P. Mikkelson |
| URL | http://www.snopes.com/ |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Only required on forums |
Snopes, also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a website dedicated to determining the truth about many urban legends, Internet rumors, email forwards, and other such stories of uncertain or questionable origin. Snopes is run by Barbara and David Mikkelson, a couple from California who married after meeting on the newsgroup alt.folklore.urban. The couple also founded the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society, who were credited as the owners of the site until 2005.[1] The site is organized according to topic and includes a messageboard where questionable stories and pictures may be posted.
Main site
Snopes aims to debunk or confirm widely spread urban legends. The site is referenced by numerous other sites[citation needed], directing people to more information about various hoaxes, especially in regard to chain e-mails. Although they research their topics heavily and provide references when possible, not all of their sources (especially those which are personal interviews, phone calls, or e-mails) are fully verifiable. Where appropriate, pages are generally marked "undetermined" or "unverifiable" if the Mikkelsons feel there is not enough evidence to either support or disprove a given claim.
The site is sometimes confused with The AFU and Urban Legends Archive [2], a similar site run by the denizens of alt.folklore.urban, which houses that newsgroup's FAQ.
The Mikkelsons have stressed the reference portion of the name Urban Legends Reference Pages, indicating that their intention is not merely to dismiss or confirm misconceptions and rumors but to provide evidence for such debunkings and confirmations as well.[1] In an attempt to demonstrate the perils of over-reliance on authority, the Mikkelsons created a series of made-up urban folklore tales which they termed The Repository of Lost Legends.[2] (The name was chosen for its acronym, T.R.O.L.L.) One fictional legend averred that the children's nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" was really a coded reference used by pirates to recruit members. (This parodied a real false legend surrounding "Ring a Ring o' Roses"'s link to the bubonic plague.) Although the creators were sure that no one could believe a tale so ridiculous — and had added a link[3] at the bottom of the page to another page explaining the hoax, and a message with the ratings saying "Note: Any relationship between these ratings and reality is purely coincidental." — eventually the legend was featured as true on an urban legends board-game and TV show.[4] Whether this meant their plan backfired or succeeded is a matter of opinion.
The name "Snopes" comes from the name of a family in the works of writer William Faulkner.[5]
Forums
The ULRP has a reasonably active forums community, its users referring to themselves as "snopesters". David and Barbara Mikkelson are active participants, with David going by the name "snopes" (lowercase s) and Barbara going simply as "Barbara". The forums have a variety of subforums, which are split between discussion of urban legends and general talk threads. The current forums have been around since December 2006 and are powered by vBulletin. Since its debut, the site has always had some type of forum.[citation needed]
Criticism
Snopes has been the target of several criticisms from other media sources. In 2001, writer Jem Matzan objected to the intentionally fictitious articles in the site's Repository of Lost Legends archive, arguing that this could confuse readers who failed to realize the articles' context, and that this was not a useful way to encourage critical thinking.[6] In 2002, reporter John Berlau from the conservative biased Insight magazine accused Snopes of bias towards liberals and criticized their journalistic style, particularly their inconsistent policy with regard to anonymous sources and unwillingness to print retractions, including a request from the right-wing biased Cybercast News Service.[7]
References
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages: (Frequently Asked Questions)". (Re "How do I know the information you've presented is accurate?") Retrieved 9 June 2006.
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Page: Lost Legends". Retrieved 9 June 2006.
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Page: Lost Legends (False Authority)". Retrieved 9 June 2006.
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages: Humor (Mostly True Stories)". Retrieved 20 June 2006.
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages: (Frequently Asked Questions)". (Re "What are 'snopes'?") Retrieved 9 June 2006.
- ^ "When the Debunkers Print Bunk". Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- ^ Berlau, John. "Nation: the Internet". Retrieved 2007-10-20.
External links
- Urban Legends Reference Pages, the Snopes main site
- ULMB Wikitory, the "unofficial reference pages on the snopes.com message board."