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CNN Doesn't Like Being Spoofed

Posted by timothy on from the littered-with-what-now dept.

scrm writes "After being online for only a week, the Fake CNN News Generator, a spoof of the CNN.com website, has been shut down after CNN sent them a threatening legal letter alleging copyright and trademark infringement. (Although the real reason is more likely to be because people were actually believing that the fake stories were true.)"

2 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Pop ups. by wzm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I realize that this will get lots of "Use Moz!" type comments, but I'm at work right now, so it isn't a possibility. Spo0fed.com unleashed a slew of pop-ups on me, and a number of them attempted to install some sort of software. Slashdot seems to be fairly united in its hatred of pop ups, so why support them by linking to sites that use them in such an aggressive manner? I feel that its just as annoying as registration required sites, and should be avoided in the same way.

    I suppose I may just be on a system thats already been hit with spyware, and if thats the case, please mod this down into oblivion.

  2. Fake CNN article about Olsen Twins hits local news by briglass · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A fake CNN new article, generated with said news generator, featured a story claiming that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (the infamous twins who began their carreer starring on Full House as an single, individual girl) had decided to attend Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The story spread like wildfire on the campus, and around Springfield.

    **The rumor was so widespread (thanks to the genuinity of the fake CNN news generator) that the story actually hit local news that night!**

    I tried to stomp out the rumor in it's infancy explaining to everyone that sent it to me that it was fake, but to no avail.

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    "Those who quote others are more likely to one day be quoted" -Tom Planter