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Expect the unexpected
ALWAYS expect the unexpected when surfing the Web. The other day I was finding
addresses of reputable cricket statistics sites for a colleague.
Okay, so we devotees of aggregates, averages and seagulls are probably in the
trainspotting class of trivia buffs, but the Web serves us well. I had landed at the Baggy Green Cap site that promises
statistics for every one who has played for Australia. And a jolly good site it is too.
To check similar sites, I pushed the What's Related button on my Netscape browser. This
function searches Netscape's archives for pages which deal with a subject similar to the
one displayed on your screen. It is a fast way to establish links . . . maybe.
The results presented said more about a love of trivia than a love of cricket. There was a
mention of CricInfo, the cricket lover's Bible on
the Web, and World Cup cricket records. But there were also some fascinating titles that
just had to be followed . . . and forget the task at hand.
One was to a page that asked the surfer to submit a lie. On further investigation, this
forked back to the main page of a site called Dave's Web of Lies, which was of
course far more interesting than doing real work.
The Web of Lies allows users to subscribe via e-mail to a Lie of the Day list. Recipients
are guaranteed that nothing they read will be true. The creators of the site, disturbed at
the amount of out-of-date information, popular misconceptions, and mistruths presented as
fact on the Web, have vowed "to trawl the world's information nets seeking out
falsehoods".
They then promise to e-mail subscribers or present on their site "the latest
lies" so that surfers can be assured what they read is definitely untrue.
Last Sunday's lie of the day, for example, was: Cinnamon is imported from another planet.
Well that is a pretty obvious lie. But other features at the site can leave you scratching
your head.
This week's celebrity liar was comedian Stephen Fry -- and who are we to doubt the truth
that Fry actually wrote the section? Among his gems:
* Welshmen are allergic to pyjamas.
* William Shakespeare's middle name was Colin.
* Belgian males remove their trousers while driving.
The site also has a guest liar, who as far as one can tell is simply a Web surfer who has
submitted a good set of lies. You never know, though, it could easily be Stephen Fry
again.
One other site, presented by Netscape as being related to cricket statistics -- what a lie
-- was called Trivial Facts About
Famous People. For all I know it could be as full of untruths as the Web of Lies, but
among its offerings were these:
* Mel Blanc -- the voice of Bugs Bunny -- was allergic to carrots.
* Jimmy Carter was the first US president to have been born in a hospital.
* Winston Churchill was a skilled bricklayer and for many years carried a union card.
* Charles Dickens always faced north when writing and sleeping.
* Luciano Pavarotti carries a bent nail in his pocket for good luck whenever he sings.
There is much, much more. It left me with the impression you can certainly learn something
new every day . . . whether you believe it is a different matter entirely.
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