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Facebook denies shutdown rumors

A rumor Facebook was shutting down wafted over the Web, forcing the hugely popular social network to deny it had any intention of closing.

The rumor was started by a satirical online website whose other news flashes include such items as "Alien Spaceships to Attack Earth in 2011" and "George Clooney Running for President."

As unlikely as it would seem that the social network with more than 500 million members would shut down, the rumor spread rapidly on Twitter and on Facebook itself.

Facebook denied it was shutting down in a statement posted on... Facebook.

"We didn't get the memo about shutting down, so we'll keep working away like always. We aren't going anywhere; we're just getting started," it said.