For the last week or so, due to a quirky coincidence of keywords, about 15% of the traffic on this blog has been due to web searches (primarily Google) on "Bill Gates convert Islam" and similar combinations. In the last two days the frequency has been increasing.
What is going on here? A search on Snopes turns up nothing for "Bill Gates Islam". My Google searches have been as fruitless as (I presume) those of all the new visitors to "Gates of Vienna". All I can locate are stories about Mr. Gates' Foundation granting money for relief efforts in Afghanistan.
Is this an urban legend? A "forward this email to everyone you know" hoax? A rumor spreading by word of mouth?
We're dying to know. Anyone with any information is welcome to email us.
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Update: Commenter bigdaddybean says:
"It's a total hoax and yes I found this blog from doing a google search.
"It was posted on an Islamic Arab site knowing it was a lie. They won't get many good deeds from Allah like this."
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Final Update (4/22/05): If you found this page directly via a search, please be aware that I know this thing is a hoax, with all the details. My later posts on the topic are here and here.
2 comments:
bigdaddybean -- Thank you very much -- that's exactly what I wanted to know. If you send me the URL for the Arab site, I will look at it & post an update.
Yes, I saw the comment in the Museum of Hoaxes. You must be "Hoax".
I posted a final update here.
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