Facebook will NOT end on March 15th. Hoax news story spreads like wildfire

Heard a story that Facebook is going to end on March 15th? You should take it with a pinch of salt.

A story is spreading like wildfire across Facebook this weekend, claiming that the world's most popular social network is closing on March 15th.

The reason? CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that "managing [Facebook] has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness."

There's only one problem with the story. It's not true. Facebook is not going to end on March 15th, and Mark Zuckerberg never said any such thing.

But that's not stopping many many Facebook users spreading the message

Many of the messages include a link to an apparent news story, where users can read more about the surprising announcement of Facebook's death:

I certainly wouldn't disagree that users would be wise to have their own backup of their photographs, rather than rely on Facebook - but it's nothing more than a scare to suggest to people that they have to do it before March 15th because Facebook is going to close down.

Most people would probably never believe such a load of old nonsense as the claim that Mark Zuckerberg is going to shut down Facebook, but it only takes a small proportion of people to think it might be possible to turn a joke of a news story into an internet hoax.

And although a hoax is nothing like as bad as a piece of malware worming its way between users and stealing information, it's still a nuisance, clogging up communications, increasing the overall level of spam and perhaps leading people to make decisions for the wrong reasons.

There's an important lesson here - don't believe everything you read on the internet, and think twice before you pass a story on to your friends.

Rome scraps Olympic bid plan

There are five cities still in contention to host the 2020 Olympic Games after Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's decision on Tuesday to withdraw Rome as a candidate, describing a planned bid as "irresponsible".

Just a day before the deadline for submitting host city bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Italian leader said: "After a difficult evaluation, we've arrived at the unanimous conclusion that the government believes it would not be responsible in the current conditions in Italy to take on these guarantees," said Monti in a media conference.

"We don't feel capable of taking on a financial commitment that could burden the Italian finances over the coming years.

"In another moment of history, we could have carried the risk, but not now."

The remaining contenders for the 2020 Games are Madrid, Baku, Doha, Istanbul and Tokyo.

While Spain is also embroiled in a severe financial crisis, Alejandro Blanco, the head of their National Olympic Committee, said they would not be following in Rome's wake.

"The withdrawal of Rome changes nothing for our candidacy," said Blanco by phone.

"It is not the time to be talking about that."

Madrid - who came second to Rio de Janeiro for the right to host the 2016 Games - at least has 80 per cent of the required infrastructure already built or almost finished after their two losing bids for the 2012 and 2016 editions.

Rome would have needed a letter of commitment from the government to submit its bid officially with the IOC.

The government took the decision even though only nine of the 42 sites required to host the Games would have needed to be built from scratch, the others solely needing to be renovated.

Mario Pescante, president of the Promotion Committee for Rome 2020, admitted this was a bitter pill to swallow.

"We've lost a great opportunity but we can only accept the government's decision - there's a lot of bitterness," he said.

"The government's decision was well thought out and was due exclusively to economic motives.

"Our project for Rome 2020 was very serious but the government was immovable on the accounts.

"It's a shame because it was a unique opportunity not least to say to the young that we have big ambitions."

Pescante also suggested any future bid for Rome, which last hosted the Games in 1960, might be off the cards for some time.

"For a possible bid in 2024, we'd have to take into account Africa and, if the 2020 Games are not assigned to Europe, Paris will enter the running for 2024 and their centenary," said Pescante.

"That means that there will be no more talk of the Olympic Games in Italy for another 10 years."

Italian Minister for Tourism and Sport Piero Gnudi, who last month had not given organisers much encouragement, praised the government's decision.

"It was a very tough decision but we shared the problems there are and we've approved our president's decision," said Gnudi.

"That doesn't mean that this government doesn't want to promote the values of sport.

"We want to increase and promote the practice of sport in schools."

Italian athletics legend and 200m Olympic champion in Moscow in 1980 Pietro Mennea agreed with the decision as well.

"There are more important things than Olympic values," he said.

"And I say this even though I am someone who competed in five Olympic Games and who is a believer in Olympic values."

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