
Why rumors exist in human culture and how to fight them - makimaki
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/10/12/how_to_fight_a_rumor/?page=full
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JacobAldridge
The problem I see in this is that it only addresses how to deal with false
rumors and barely addresses those which are true. If I have a foolproof system
for disproving all false rumors, I still have a problem in that any true
rumors will immediately be confirmed by me because I do not disprove them.

1) IF it is False THEN I will deny it. 2) I did not deny it. C) THEREFORE, it
is not False.

A No Comment policy, or similar, allows you to treat all rumors identically,
or at least allow scope for addressing the most blatantly false while ignoring
most (true and false) so as not to tacitly confirm those which are true.

Perhaps the policy depends on an individual's character. If there are no
truths I fear, disproving all rumors will work in my favor. If I have a lot of
truths to hide, disproving all false rumors but only false rumors will set me
up for disaster.

