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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you've ever been "fooled" by the internet?

36 replies

anotherbloomingusername · 12/12/2015 18:50

I have a nasty cough and cold, and because of some upcoming medical tests I've been asked not to take anything but paracetemol for a couple of days. Fine. So I browsed around the internet for anything I can do to soothe the cough, and I ran across this bastard thing several times. It seemed a bit reasonable to my cough-addled brain, so off I went to pick up pineapple juice (along with vicks for my feet, honey, chilis & every other bloody thing the internet says would help.)

Did it help? Bollox, did it. Before, I had a cough and a cold. Now, I have a cough and a cold and case of the runs that makes every cough a white-knuckle adventure into whether I might accidentally poo myself. Only then, did I think to look on snopes.

Cheer me up, anybody? Has anyone else fallen for stupid stuff on the internet (that you're willing to admit)?

To ask if you've ever been "fooled" by the internet?
OP posts:
wasonthelist · 12/12/2015 19:36

Lost £20 to a bogus dating website once. Complained to Paypal (as I'd paid with it) they said as it was a service not goods they weren't interested. So I complained to the FSA (or whatever it was called that week) - didn't hear anything for ages.
So I complained to Barclaycard who said they weren't interested, so I threatened to close my Barclaycard account - they relented and gave a £20 refund. The Paypal gave £20 as well.

Lurleene · 12/12/2015 19:44

I thought Blue Waffle was a genuine disease of the front bottom.

MTPurse · 12/12/2015 20:00

4 /5 years ago I came to check out MN after I was told you were all a bunch of men hating vipers who are just evil wrong uns. The internet fooled me then, I came, I seen and I never left! Grin

Original poster
anotherbloomingusername · 12/12/2015 20:20

Wait... then, what IS blue waffle? I've been advised not to google it, but was also led to believe it would lead to scary vagina photos.

OP posts:
AnchorDownDeepBreath · 12/12/2015 20:23

Blue Waffle is a fake STI, which was said to affect only women. It was supposed to be a severe infection that led to the vagina turning a deep blue.

It gained a lot of popularity in 2013 when a New Jersey stateswoman referenced it in a speech, thinking it was a real disease...

I wouldn't recommend googling. The pictures are supposedly of a violent-stained vaginal yeast infection, but still. Vom.

BrandNewAndImproved · 12/12/2015 20:25

Yes I had a thread about a week ago thinking there really was a database where you could see if you had been caught speeding or not Blush

abbsismyhero · 12/12/2015 21:03

pineapples and chilis? no wonder you have a sore bum still at least you won't need to do a pre christmas detox?

you're supposed to eat the core of a fresh pineapple to get the best effect but i suppose the hidden clue is in the phrase "also used to get rid of parasitic infections" that is net speak for chill the loo roll grab war and peace and don't make any plans

Flowers
TheCrazyDuchess · 12/12/2015 21:07

when i was little (in uni)....... bonsai kittens...... still ashamed to this day to believe they were real

Gliblet · 12/12/2015 21:10

Jesus, do not do a Google image search for blue waffle! Grin

I'm a rotten old cynic and tend to check things out on Snopes as a sort of reflex but I very nearly got ripped off by a fake Pandora website in the Black Friday sales. Totally missed all the blatant spelling mistakes and only just spotted it was a fake before checking out & handing over my bank details Hmm

Rudeabaga · 12/12/2015 21:14

chill the loo roll grab war and peace and don't make any plans

Grin

I'm a bit of a cynic but did fall for those pinterest "cheap facemasks" for a bit. Till I made one up and realised I was basically putting porridge on my face. I ate it instead.

Trills · 12/12/2015 21:15

That's not being fooled by the internet.

That's being fooled by PEOPLE.

The same way that if you fall for a fake phone call you are not being fooled by the telephone.

Or if you fall for something that arrives by post youa re not being fooled by the Post Office.

Trills · 12/12/2015 21:15

Do you really want to know if it is UNREASONABLE to ask?

Or do you just want to ask?

Where is the question of reasonableness here?

There is none.

You just want to chat.

PinkSquash · 12/12/2015 21:21

Ohh Bonzai Kittens, they kept me amused me amused for ages.

With the OP- I said to someone when they posted it on Fb that if it worked so well, the NHS would prescribe it. Grin

MrsDeVere · 12/12/2015 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

goodnightdarthvader1 · 12/12/2015 21:27

Trills, remove the stick from your ass.

TheSpottedZebra · 12/12/2015 21:27

Or a bit CROSS.

I almost got fooled today, whilst doing my mum's driving licence renewal as her friend had clicked on a fake site and been charged.

So I did it for her, and I was talking her though how to find the real site and what to look for... and somehow I was on a rip off one.

Ughnotagain · 12/12/2015 21:28

When I was a kid (like 12, 13 maybe?) I fell for the bonsai kitten thing. I got it on a chain email and told everyone I knew, I was devastated that such a thing could happen.

It was ages before I found out it was a hoax!

These days I'm a big fan of Snopes and always check these things...

TheSpottedZebra · 12/12/2015 21:28

Bonsai kittens sound ace though. I shall Google.

TheSpottedZebra · 12/12/2015 21:28

Growing soft boned kittens in a jar = not ace Sad

Ughnotagain · 12/12/2015 21:30

Zebra now imagine getting that on an email as a young teenager. I was scarred!

TheSpottedZebra · 12/12/2015 21:31

I can imagine!

Trills · 12/12/2015 21:37

The Government really need to work on their SEO so that their driving license/passport/EHIC/ESTA pages come up before all the ones that want to charge you to fill in the form.

Potatoface2 · 12/12/2015 21:46

i had a foreign sounding man FB message me saying my profile pic was beautiful and he wanted to be my boyfriend....lol....i didnt fall for it as my FB photo was a pic of a singer in a rock band (he had a beard!)....he also asked for my bank details and credit card details....im not that stoopid!

FeelingSmurfy · 12/12/2015 21:47

I have found the Vicks on feet thing does work, but only put on as going to bed and it allows me to get to sleep without the coughing fits and tossing and turning in order to breathe. Did try it in the day after finding that it helped at night, but its limited so it was pointless (also nasty feeling with socks sticking to it!)

I have always been quite cynical and I check things out if I'm not sure, have seen a lot of things fill my news feed and I am surprised that not one of my friends/family have bothered to check if its true, they just assume

FeelingSmurfy · 12/12/2015 21:48

Saying that though, I had 4 people share that Halloween was on Friday the 13th for the first year...they weren't joking...Hmm