Recently, when I watched a supposedly scared little boy trapped in a home-made saucer-shaped balloon flying what I thought was unprotected above the Midwestern countryside, it didn’t occur to me to think for a second that it was a hoax; but, as I watched the drama unfold, I began to realize that I was the one being taken for a ride. As soon as I got up from the television, I went online to try and find out more about the balloon boy saga.Until now, Snopes.com was where I went to find out if what I was reading or seeing on television or getting in my e-mails was real or fake. But in my search for the Balloon Boy story, I found a new site called Hoax.com that covered the story in a whole different unique way.

I noticed that Hoax.com was different because not only could I get the information I was looking for about hoaxes, urban legends, e-mail rumors and spam mail stories, but Hoax.com also has a discussion area where I can give my input in on those issues, and get feedback from other readers to make sure I have all the facts before I start spreading the news.

I think it’s important that, with the eyes of the entire internet watching, Hoax.com can bring the latest fake stories to light so that when I’m faced with the question “is this really true?” I now know that all I need to do is log on to Hoax.com and search for the story and discover if what I am dealing with is a real occurrence.

I also found that unlike Snopes.com, Hoax.com doesn’t just deal with fake news stories, questionable e-mail messages and urban legends. Hoax.com goes behind the scenes of various paranormal activities such as ghost hunting, psychic readings, sightings of unusual beasts, etc. That’s really what makes it so much more interesting than just getting boring facts. At Hoax.com there is more of a story behind the story.

Hoax.com is also a cool site because it lets you in on the little-known secrets of palm readers, psychics, fortune tellers, astrologers, etc. so that you know what to look for when seeking bona fide help with your many questions. I now know what to look for before I pay good money to have my fortune told.

I think that these things are what separates Hoax.com from Snopes.com, the up-front information that prepares you to spot a hoax or a fake before you’re taken for a ride. And the part I really enjoyed was that once I got my answers, I could then discuss the results and share stories with other Hoax.com readers, making friends as I went along.