Earlier today, we ran a front page story regarding a rumored "Xbox 360 name change." The source was a forum posting on the excellent Cheap Ass Gamer forums. As it turns out, the post was part of a contest, one put in place to prove one thing: Gaming blogs (and other outlets) are quick to hop on rumors, and could easily be duped.

We were.

The post was removed in short order, but not with my consent (I am, from what they tell me, the "boss" around here when it comes to editorial). Had I been awake (no, I'm not a robot), I would have suggested the post be updated to clarify the situation. But what's done is done; not a big deal. We jumped on a story fast, and we're not the only ones (see also: Engadget, Kotaku, etc.).

So here's the point: Destructoid is a videogaming blog. All day long we posts news, screenshots, reviews, opinions, and original gaming related features. Being a blog, we operate a bit differently than other types publications, and I'd like think (most of) our readers expect that from us. Our tone is different, our content is different, and -- for the most part -- our readers are different. With that in mind, we also post rumors from various sources. We will always label "rumors" as such, and when applicable, we will follow up with the parties involved to verify or deny said rumor.

The folks at CAG set out to make a point, and they did so in a rather funny way, if I must say. Does this mean that we'll stop posting rumors, or that we won't deliver speculative information without first following up with and exhausting every last resource? No, but when we do post rumors keep something in mind: they are to be taken with a grain of salt. We will never knowingly mislead our readers (i.e. fabricate a rumor for hits or controversy); it's only our intention to deliver gaming-related information to our readers that we feel they'd be interested in hearing about.

So ... how has your morning been?