The article discusses 15 internet deceptions and hoaxes that have fooled many people. These include:
1. Mars appearing as big as the moon (a recurring hoax since 2003)
2. Richard Gere and the gerbil (an urban legend with no evidence to support it)
3. Facebook charging users (a persistent hoax since 2009)
4. Dead celebrity hoaxes (fake reports of celebrity deaths)
5. Doritos Ebola (a fake report of an Ebola outbreak at a Doritos factory)
6. Kidney thieves in New Orleans (a hoax about organ thieves targeting tourists)
7. Lonelygirl15 (a scripted video series that fooled many into thinking it was real)
8. A French law banning work after 6:00 p.m. (a misreported article that was actually about a specific industry agreement)
9. Apple product hoaxes (such as charging an iPod with an onion and Gatorade)
10. The Syrian hero boy (a fake video of a Syrian boy saving a girl from gunfire)
11. Taylor Swift concert for a deaf school (a prank that resulted in a school being disqualified from a contest)
12. Kentucky Fried Compact Disc (a fake coupon for a KFC meal deal that included a free CD)
13. Redheads facing extinction (a myth that has been debunked by science)
14. Catfishing (a growing trend of internet fraud where perpetrators create false online identities)
The article concludes that as technology advances, our culture seems to grow "paradoxically stupider," and it is essential to be aware of these hoaxes and deceptions to avoid being fooled.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. In 2003, a hoax circulated that Mars would appear as large as the Moon in the sky.
2. Mars did get closer to Earth in 2003 than it had in 50,000 years, but it was still 144 times farther away than the Moon.
3. The hoax claimed that no one alive at the time had ever seen this phenomenon and that it wouldn't happen again for hundreds of years.
4. Richard Gere was the subject of an urban legend that he had a gerbil lodged in his rectum.
5. There is no evidence to support the claim that Richard Gere was involved in the gerbil incident.
6. Facebook has never charged users for its basic membership service, despite rumors that it would.
7. A hoax circulated that Doritos was the source of an Ebola outbreak, which was completely false.
8. In 1997, a rumor spread that a ring of organ thieves was targeting tourists in New Orleans, which was also false.
9. A video blog called "Lonelygirl15" was revealed to be a scripted video series, not a real blog.
10. A rumor circulated that the French government had made it illegal to work or take work-related emails after 6:00 p.m., which is not true.
11. A hoax video showed a Syrian boy being shot and then getting back up, which was later revealed to be staged.
12. A fake coupon circulated online that offered a free CD with a KFC meal deal, which was not a real promotion.
13. Redheads will not become extinct, despite reports that the gene responsible for red hair is recessive.
14. Catfishing is a form of internet fraud where perpetrators create false online identities to manipulate others into romantic relationships.
15. The Syrian Hero Boy video was created to bring attention to the harsh realities of children living in war zones.