Diver barely escapes attacking shark! The world's largest dog, Hercules, is as big as a horse! New virus promises to attack computer unless you forward this email to all of your contacts?

Everyone gets them; many pass them along. They're called chain e-mails, and they flood the email boxes of millions of people every day.

E-mails like these are often widely circulated and greatly misunderstood. Some seem plausible; others might even be terrifying. But without attributed sources, how do you know if the events described in these e-mails ever happened?

Enter Snopes.com. This Web site attempts to debunk or confirm rumors widely circulated on the Internet. It contains thousands of reference pages on everything from forwarded pictures to text to word-of-mouth legends.

Created and maintained by folklore lovers Barbara and David Mikkleson, the site, which lists legends by topic and section, is easily searchable. It even has a forum where registered users can discuss legends.

Now users can easily determine if that latest email is a hoax. And unlike chain e-mails, Snopes.com lists its sources.