Yeah I completely agree with that. It's downright irritating, mostly. I've unfollowed a few people who were repeat offenders (fondly referred to as the impassioned illiterate :P) on twitter.

Curious sidenote, I think this is the first link I've clicked through from you that _wasn't_ on VB. Sensitive subject?

I'd like to add a 4th category, or at least a modifier to the 3rd, "idiots" category. Reality is, people on the web skim. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people pass along an article when it's clear they never made it past the title. I can't say I'm blameless here, either. Most of us who follow way too many blogs have developed a methodical way of parsing information quickly, and tools like google reader, complete with keyboard shortcuts and article formatting (or twitter with the title front and center, link and substance secondary) make it really easy to do this.

As a content publisher, how do you capture the interest of someone who gives you a half-second of their time? Simple, you write a sensationalist headline, and publish fast and first. But if that headline gives the wrong impression about the legitimacy of the article's substance, as was true in the TechCrunch/Last.fm/RIAA case, the risk of it spreading like wildfire without a complete read is fairly great. Some people thrive on twitter by passing along information first (just as many publishers do in regard to the blog content itself).

I think this is more of a vicious cycle than anything else, but I do think the onus is on the content publishers, at the end of the day. The consequence of publishing entries quickly with dubious legitimacy is ultimately going to be a reduced overall opinion of the blog as a source of accurate information.

ps. you're one of my fave bloggers, here and on VB. I swear I actually read your shit ;)