Internet Hoaxes: Discussion

A few months back, I was planning an online marketing campaign,and asked the following question on LinkedIn:

"What's your opinion of the people who create internet/email hoaxes?
What's your opinion of the people who create internet/email hoaxes? You know, the people who make up stories that later spread virally across email and Facebook and when you eventually do the research they turn out to be false.

Like the tiger in the zoo nursing the piglets, who were supposedly given to her because she was "depressed" about losing her own cubs. Things like that.

Does it bother you that someone invented a fake story that you fell for?
Or do you think, "who cares, it was a good story anyway even if it was fake"?
Or do you admire them for their creativity in crafting a totally different story from a photo?
Would it make any difference in how you felt if you knew that the hoax had been invented for commercial purposes?"

I was surprised and shocked at most of the answers, and wanted to see if the BarCamp community's view of hoaxes was more aligned with my own...