Gotcha! Olsen Twins Hoax Had 'em Fooled

“‘The Internet allows us to do all kinds of things quickly and efficiently, and that includes hoaxing,’ Jerz says.|Jerz, an assistant professor of English at UW-Eau Claire, learned of the Olsen hoax when a skeptical student emailed him the fake CNN story….News hoaxes aren’t the only ones that spread by e-mail, says Jerz, who often sees financial scams, false computer virus warnings and tales of fictional missing children. All of these are examples of ‘memes,’ the intellectual equivalent of genes, ideas that reproduce themselves by jumping from brain to brain, Jerz says. Many vanish quickly, but others spread swiftly.” Tom Giffey —Gotcha! Olsen Twins Hoax Had ’em Fooled (Leader Telegram)

This local news story from the Eau Claire paper offers a good summary and reflection on the Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen hoax that was spreading across the Internet about two weeks ago.