<p>“The University of Virginias student newspaper tweeted some alarming news on Monday afternoon:” …</p>
<p>[False</a> rumors of #UVAdormsearch prompt alcohol dumping, hilarious tweets](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2013/04/08/false-rumors-of-uvadormsearch-prompts-alcohol-dumping-hilarious-tweets/]False”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2013/04/08/false-rumors-of-uvadormsearch-prompts-alcohol-dumping-hilarious-tweets/)</p>
<p>it’s funny because we used to do this with things like curtains, anime wall hangings, and coffee pots when the fire marshall surprise inspection emails came over bc-chat in Brown College… I also found that he only inspected 1 room per floor per portal and so we decided to always live with the RA on our floor and he always inspected her room…</p>
<p>[The</a> Cavalier Daily](<a href=“http://www.cavalierdaily.com%5DThe”>http://www.cavalierdaily.com)</p>
<p>One student pulled a prank on one friend, who believed it and sent a message out to a few of her friends, and within 2 hours, it was spread throughout the entire university. All the officials and law enforcement agencies then had to issue denials.</p>
<p>This would be an interesting case study on viral messaging.</p>
<p>(After the destructive 1968 riots, many cities set up “rumor control” hotlines where a person could call up and find out if a rumor was true before they burned down a block of buildings. Many of those rumors involved a White cop shooting a Black teenager without reason.)</p>