How To Get Massive Backlinks By Fooling The Major Media With A Fake Story (I.E. Aptiquant Hoax)

I was reading Mashable a few weeks back just to see what was popular. I saw a post that was one of their most popular posts. Here it is. It is still up with 77,291 tweets as of this post. Basically the story says this Canadian research group Aptiquant did a study showing the I.E. 6 users had lower I.Q.s than other browser users.

This story spread out through the major media like wildfire. This was a true viral linking campaign par excellence. Thousands of websites linked to the Aptiquant website. Something smelled fishy when I read the story so I did my own take off story saying that a Quaker Tech Group found that Safari users were the most aloof and another story saying I.E. users were the most kind hearted.

Well, it turns out the whole I.E. I.Q. story was a hoax perpetrated by Tarandeep Gill, a Vancouver-based programmer and entrepreneur. Here is the story about the Aptiquant Hoax.

The major blogs and news media are so desperate for new content that they all just jumped on this story without really checking it out.

It just shows you. If you come up with the right B.S. and sell it right the media will climb aboard.

Here is a handful of blogs which discuss the story. Some got it was a hoax others have not.

The Amazee Blog | Things we like. Stuff we do.
Web Browser News and Reviews
Study showing Internet Explorer users have lower IQs is an ‘elaborate..
Internet Explorer users have low IQ? Media hoaxed by bogus research | Naked..
Study: Internet Explorer users have lower IQs than Safari users – Mac..
Internet Explorer users have lower IQ? « Photoshop Lightroom Bridge
“Internet Explorer users have low IQs study was a hoax well done ..
Internet Explorer IQ Test Says IE Users Maybe Not as Smart as Other..
Study Showing IE Users Have Low IQ a Hoax? | Neev Technologies
Internet Explorer users have lower IQ
IE users have a lower IQ (Hilarious survey)Thomas Interstin..
Internet Explorer users have lower IQ says study Area 14/8
And you thought the browser wars were over Tales of the Silicon ..
Research Shows Internet Explorer Users To Have Lower IQ
myPersonality Research » Do Internet Explorer users have a low IQ?
IE Users Have Lower IQ Than Other Browsers Users | eNewsz.com -all about We..
Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQ | study from a web consulting firm re..
Research Shows Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQ | GizmoCrazed
WordPress User Fools World Press into Believing IE Users Have Low IQ
Is Internet Explorer For The Dumb? A New Study Suggests Exactly That. | Apt..
Backtogeek;s Technology Journey Blog Archive » IE use..
Hoax: Stupid people prefer Internet Explorer | The Milton Bayer Blog
IE Users Have Lower IQ Than Users of Other Web Browsers [STUDY] | Versions ..
Internet Explorer Users Are Dumber Than Chrome and Opera Users
Study claiming Internet Explorer users have lower IQs? It bogus | B..
Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQ | Papa on Net
Internet Explorer users have a lower IQ | Lifestyle news
Users Of Internet Explorer Have A Lower IQ | ukbbcnews.com
Study claiming Internet Explorer users have lower IQs? It’s bogus | S..
Users of IE Have Lower IQ Compared to Other Web Browsers | Blog – Bee IT Li..
IE Users Have Lower IQ Than Webkit Based Browser Users | iDizle.com
Survey: Internet Explorer Users Have Low IQs | Etidbits.com
IE Users Have Lower IQ Than Users of Other Web Browsers [STUDY] – Technolog..
Study Showing IE Users Have Low IQ Likely a Hoax computeraddicted
Internet Explorer Users Have A lower IQ? | The World Of Tech
New Study Suggests IE Users Have Low IQ Trileaf Designs