Everything on the internet is true

[Mithrandir]

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/24/bre...83115117823.txt

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. — A pair of hoax ads on Craigslist cost an Oregon man much of what he owned.

The ads popped up Saturday afternoon, saying the owner of a Jacksonville home was forced to leave the area suddenly and his belongings, including a horse, were free for the taking, said Jackson County sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan.

But Robert Salisbury had no plans to leave. The independent contractor was at Emigrant Lake when he got a call from a woman who had stopped by his house to claim his horse.

On his way home he stopped a truck loaded down with his work ladders, lawn mower and weed eater.

“I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back,” Salisbury said. “They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did.”

The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he spotted other cars filled with his belongings.

Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his barn and front porch.

The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off. “They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true,” Salisbury said. “It boggles the mind.”

Jacksonville police and Jackson County sheriff’s deputies arrived but by then several cars packed with Salisbury’s property had fled.

He turned some license plate numbers over to police.

Michelle Easley had seen the ad that claimed Salisbury’s horse had been declared abandoned by the sheriff’s department and was free to a good home.

“I can’t stand to see a horse suffer so I drove out there and got her,” Easley said. “The horse didn’t look abandoned. She is in good shape for being 32 years old.”

But it looked odd, so she left a note on Salisbury’s door explaining the ad. She then decided to call to make sure the ad was legitimate when the second similar ad appeared.

“I feel bad because I was a part of it,” Easley said. “It felt right to call the police.”

Fagan praised Easley’s honestly but said prosecution was likely for anybody caught with Salisbury’s property.

Items can be returned with no questions asked, Fagan said.

Detectives have contacted Craigslist’s legal team to try to trace the ad.

Meanwhile, Salisbury could not even relax on his porch swing.

Someone took it.

My favorite part is that all the people had print outs of the Craigslist posting as "proof" - as if that someone legalized and legitimized the whole affair.

The scary part is that if Mr. Fagan were a man easily pushed to violence, things could have gotten ugly very quickly. If he had a gun on him and decided to forcibly prevent the ransacking of his house... Yikes.

With the success of this hoax, I would not be the least bit surprised to see copy cat Craiglist ads popping up in the near future.

[Quark]

With the success of this hoax, I would not be the least bit surprised to see copy cat Craiglist ads popping up in the near future.

Quick reply on way out door: this is a copycat itself, though I don't currently have a link.

[Mithrandir]

Quick reply on way out door: this is a copycat itself, though I don't currently have a link.

Got it: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-0...list-hoax_N.htm

Wow, I didn't realize that this had been done before... how do people keep falling for this crap?

[--Pete]

Hi,

... how do people keep falling for this crap?

Because half the population is below average in intelligence -- and average is pretty poor.

--Pete

[Occhidiangela]

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/24/bre...83115117823.txt
My favorite part is that all the people had print outs of the Craigslist posting as "proof" - as if that someone legalized and legitimized the whole affair.

The scary part is that if Mr. Fagan were a man easily pushed to violence, things could have gotten ugly very quickly. If he had a gun on him and decided to forcibly prevent the ransacking of his house... Yikes.

With the success of this hoax, I would not be the least bit surprised to see copy cat Craiglist ads popping up in the near future.

I am willing to bet that a strict liability case agains Craigslist would win. We will see if Mr Fagan pursues that. What Craigslist allowed was a fraudulent act to be committed. Their disclaimer is no defense.

Had Mr Fagan been prone to violence, I suspect he'd still be fuming, as I imagine his guns would also have been stolen.

Occhi

[Nystul]

Hi,
Because half the population is below average in intelligence -- and average is pretty poor.

--Pete

Or more likely they "fall for it" because they want the free stuff.:) But I know... never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence.

[Nystul]

I am willing to bet that a strict liability case agains Craigslist would win. We will see if Mr Fagan pursues that. What Craigslist allowed was a fraudulent act to be committed. Their disclaimer is no defense.

I wouldn't rule that out, but let's not forget some person wrote this ad. And it's probably not some hacker in China or Poland beyond the reach of the law; it is someone local who knows a horse exists at that specific address and probably has some sort of relationship to the owner.

[Mithrandir]

Or more likely they "fall for it" because they want the free stuff.:) But I know... never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence.

Yeah, willful ignorance would be my bet. Doesn't the fact that all of the individuals showed up with printouts of the Craigslist posting show awareness of the fact that they may be challenged while ransacking the listed house and thus that what they are doing may be illegal?

Had Mr Fagan been prone to violence, I suspect he'd still be fuming, as I imagine his guns would also have been stolen.

Maurice Clarett taught me that it is always a great idea to store all of your firearms in your car. I just assumed everyone else did the same;)

[Nystul]

Maurice Clarett taught me that it is always a great idea to store all of your firearms in your car. I just assumed everyone else did the same;)

That stings a bit. What a waste of talent. That was just the last in a long list of "great ideas" leading Mo C from hero to zero.

[Jarulf]

Hi,
Because half the population is below average in intelligence -- and average is pretty poor.

--Pete

Doesn't that assumes there is no one AT the average intelligence?

:P

[Sir_Die_alot]

Doesn't that assumes there is no one AT the average intelligence?

:P

I see very few people who reach that level. :P

[--Pete]

Hi,

Doesn't that assumes there is no one AT the average intelligence?

:P

Actually, my statement was completely bogus and based on the popular misconception of how the average works. But rigorous humor often causes joke mortis B)

[Vandiablo]

my statement was completely bogus and based on the popular misconception of how the average works.

Do not cross The Median -- he gets angry when people think he's average.

[Vandiablo]

Doesn't that assumes there is no one AT the average intelligence?

Well what if there's TWO there, co-median??

HAW HAW *snort* HAW

[Occhidiangela]

Hi,
Actually, my statement was completely bogus and based on the popular misconception of how the average works. But rigorous humor often causes joke mortis B)

For the next time you raise that point, I offer the faux Latin jocularis mortis as a fitting bon mot. Or mortis jocularis. Or Mortimer's Jockstrap.

Or something like that.

Occhi

[--Pete]

Or something like that.

:P

[Jim]

Mortimer's Jockstrap.

Occhi

Hi,

Yep I caught that while in the Navy 1963 Naples! :blush:

[Maitre]

Well what if there's TWO there, co-median??

HAW HAW *snort* HAW

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but when I met the co-median, my first instinct was that this guy was bi-modal curious.

to the topic, the chain of liability probably goes from victim to hosting website (craigslist) and then if victim wins, craigslist can turn around and file suit against the poster. My question is how the law's concept of a "reasonable person" will come into play. By shear numbers, this post must have been believable by a reasonable person, because people showed up and grabbed the victim's belongings, however, is craigslist responsible for determining what is legit, and what is not, or what is reasonable and what is not?