Why do hoaxsters, particularly internet hoaxsters, do this? Simple: because it’s ridiculous easy. People won’t bother to check credentials, even when it might be as easy as googling “Buffalo River University, Okla.” Most hoaxsters of this type, I think, are under the misguided assumption that they are clever; and yet, look at some of the names they come up with! So many of them (R. Nixon being more plausible than others), are obvious giveaways, little better than the names that appear on spam a la “Ascetics J. Buntings.” (Is anyone recalling “Sylvanic” at this point? Oh right! It’s a movie, now… (just like that James Cameron debacle I like to refer to as “Shite-tanic”, but that was based on actual history!)

What the hoaxsters do assess correctly is the gullibility of their target audience, and that’s sad.

Then again, look at Wikipedia itself — I’m not saying it’s useless, but a little context. It’s a resource, the contents of which, are not put together by people with academic credentials and knowledgability of the subject they are explaining can’t be verified. HEL-LO-O! Is it any wonder that hoaxsters can get away with what they do.

The downside of this is that serious researchers, like Loren, Craig, John, the BFRO and others, end up dealing with hoaxsters, using up valuable time that they could spend verifying substantial accounts, traces of evidence, etc. etc.

His film “got debunked years ago,” on that TV show that of course the speaker didn’t watch.

This one lives on.

Ha ha. Wish it were funny.