The Birth of the Internet Rumor
by Charles Rando

   Shortly after the attacks on September 11, Sean Lewis' parents saw a series of news stories that scared them enough to contact him at school. Soon, the fears will gave life to a rumor on the Internet.

   "On the news back in Chicago, right after the September 11 incident, there was a story about how the water sources were a prime target for terrorist attacks," said Lewis, a student at Indiana's Purdue University.  "Then there were many reports of Arabic people buying large supplies of bottled water."

   But even a news story like that is hard to believe without seeing.  Did either of Lewis' parents witness what the news stories were saying?

   "My dad did at the local supermarket," Lewis said.  "There was a large line of Arabic people buying a large quantity of bottled water

   Lewis' mother, afraid that something was amiss, contacted the Purdue University student and told him to be on the look-out. 

   "She relayed [the story] to me, back at Purdue University, to watch out and buy some bottled water," Lewis said.

   Lewis admits that he did not witness anything out of the ordinary at Purdue University like his parents thought they were seeing  back home.  He was, however, concerned that the news his parents had passed on to him was true.  He wasn't the only one; his friend, who had heard the warning as well, also became concerned.

   "I was at school and a friend of mine from Chicago's mother came and was saying this," said Lewis' friend, Scott Hackney.  "I got on the thread to ask anyone from Chicago to give confirmation."

   The "thread" was the alt.current-events.usa newsgroup.  On September 22, Hackney posted a message  to the group, relaying the message he had heard and asking if any one had any confirmation or rebuttal of this rumor.

   "I didn't get any responses which disappointed me and it kind of disappeared," Hackney said.  "I really would have liked some more details on that occurrence, were it actually occurring."

   A search through news groups and message boards uncovered no sign that anyone had attempted to spread Hackney's post across the Internet, but the rumor of the water supply being poisoned was very prevalent.  One poster remarked in her message  that she had seen news reports; others seemed to believe the water supply was the next viable target .  Still others attempted to rebut these rumors with facts.  While it's not clear whether Hackney's post spread beyond its newsgroup, the idea that inspired it was a powerful one and has been the source of much debate for the past three months.