How I got Fooled

[Shana A]

Monday, 22 June 2009
How I got Fooled
Zoe Brain

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-i-got-fooled.html

I refer to this post.

I first picked up this story from a credible source at Beginning Life.
I then checked with another credible source, Laura's playground.
I then cross-checked with TopShelf, a source of lesser credibility, but which showed activity by someone of that name for over a year. I even chased up the identity of her Aunt Edeyn aka Edeyn Hannah Blackeney, who has been posting for years.

Lacking access to police records in NY - and I wasn't even sure that that was the correct state - and knowing from past experience that such episodes don't always make the papers, I wasn't too concerned that there was no immediate report within 24 hours.

I was concerned when there was nothing after 48, and that the usual problems with details hadn't been resolved. I kept looking, and as soon as the story looked like a hoax, I reported that.

[Suzy]

I know, in an almost perverse way we "want" to see these stories come to light and are quick to jump on band wagons without really checking things out.  The bad thing about this hoax is that similar things do happen, and we will never know about it.  I hope that this did not go out to the mainstream who may use it to mar our credibility even further.

Kristi

[NicholeW.]

Between Pam's and Bilerico there's a good chance that it will get more mainstream than you'd hope for. Those blogs aren't world-beaters, at least not yet, but all this would take is a piece at Huffington or someplace like that and it might well get a lot more play than anyone would want.

N~