Friday, August 8, 2008

Felon Spy

Sociological Images links to a wonderful hoax site called Felon Spy.



It purports to help you find felons in your area using a "patented Felon Search technology." The only tip off to being a hoax is the hilariously funny terms of use which includes such gems as:


The Company may terminate your marriage; delete your bank accounts and any content or information that you have ever collected over the entirety of your life for any reason, or no reason, at any time in its sole discretion, with or without notice, including if it believes that you are under age 96. When we are notified that a user has died we will not send flowers but rather say a small prayer and fire our AK 47s into the air. We will generally, but are not obligated to, keep the user's account active under a special memorialized status for a period of time determined by a custom magic 8-ball.


and

FelonSpy Pages are completely random and fake. They are used solely to critique the sad state of our commercial, political, realities. You may not search FelonSpy on behalf of another individual or entity unless you are authorized to do so in writing (triplicate form). This includes fan FelonSpy Pages, as well as FelonSpy Pages to support or criticize another individual or entity including local county Sheriffs, other than Boss Hogg and Barney Fife. Sheriffs in New Hampshire, and Georgia should learn the term "to Google" 
FELONSPY DOES NOT PRE-SCREEN OR APPROVE FELONSPY NAMES, AND WILLNOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING AT ANYTIME AT ANYPLACE. Terms of Use, FelonSpy Pages are subject to and governed by certain laws that go beyond the galaxy most humans and similarly primitive life forms are aware of.


Hoax sites like these are the new vanguard in political and social activism. With so much of mass culture oriented towards a hyper-vigilance that primes a basic human response, the only ammunition left is to mock our own human failing. As a resident of and college professor in,Thousand Oaks, California, I live in what should equate to a "fear-free" zone. However, I've observed that conversations around crime are more pronounced here than in other, less safe, places in which I've lived. Why do low-crime areas obsess about crime? Is there a base need for us to experience a measure of fear, even if it's fabricated?

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