It’s Happens to Everyone Eventually

No one likes to admit failure, especially when duplicity is involved. The intertubes is rife with scams and hoaxes, and I’m pretty sure everyone reading has fallen for at least one at some point.

Case in point, today, I tried to download the bogus beta version of Chrome OS. Yes, it’s a hoax, so don’t get all happy.

Gizmodo’s feed had an item titled “Chrome OS Now Available, Go get It” (image), and intrigued to create a VM and geek out, I clicked through on the “Google” link provided at the bottom.

I suppose reading the list of featured software should have tipped me off first, but the site, which is a Google Sites URL and not one under the Chrome browser home (i.e. google.com/chrome) seemed fishy.

Even weirder was a list of previous beta versions to download. Something as big as Chrome OS going into beta would not have escaped my Reader.

The final straw was that the download was served from a non-Google domain. Mmm-k.

Had I only checked the footer, I would have seen:

Chrome OS is not related to Google. Service provided by SUSE Studio. See the license.

Oh well, at least I didn’t download it and go any further.

Twitter has been all abuzz (Chrome OS is trending), first with the news, and now, spreading the word that it’s bogus.

Apparently, it’s not a new site either and has been around a while. The Download Squad actually did a dissection of the install back in September, in case you’re wondering. Funny stuff and also a pretty clear picture of the comparative clout of Gizmodo.

A few places have reported the hoax. Interestingly, Gizmodo chose to take down its post, rather than update it, which is a bit odd since those of us reading the feed had no point of reference when clicking through for details.

This post from the WATBlog raises an interesting question, “Is Twitter making us headline junkies?” Apparently so, and I can vouch that RSS did that to me years ago. Discussion of this point warrants a full post at some point, but the short answer is in order to process the massive amounts of information, one must become a headline junkie.

Anyway, that’s my confession. I fell for the Chrome OS download hoax. I think at some point in the mid-90s, I fell for an attachment virus too. Oh, and way back in the day, I called an 800 number my friend said was a Sam Adams free beer survey. Turned out to be a gay porn line.

So, what hoaxes or scams have claimed you? Find the comments.