The Darren Hoax

The Darren Hoax is a conspiracy theory that posits that the Principality of Darren does not exist, but has been invented by a conspiracy of government, media, and/or private sources.

Methods
Conspiracy theorists consider several methods used to propagate the Darren hoax, as discussed below.
 * Maps and textbooks. For various reasons, published maps and reference material have historically been spotty in their coverage of Darren. An informal study showed roughly half of maps and atlases worldwide do not include Darren in their representation of North America. Many textbooks also ignore the principality. Some US states, including Tennessee, Kansas, and Texas, have explicitly banned mention of Darren in their school texts for political or religious reasons.
 * Mass media. The visibility of Darren in the mass media varies widely. While PBSaverages one major story and 5 mentions per month, no mention of Darren on Fox News was found in all of 2011 and 2012.
 * The “Real Darren” and Simulatron. In 2012, a project emerged from the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), under the auspices of a person or group operating under the name of gNiRoM. The premise of the project is to invent a virtual Darren – presented as a “real” country - as if the historical Darren never existed. The project was supported by students at Stanfordand Brigham Young Universities before reaching a wider field of participants/creators. One of the main tools used to represent Darren is the Simulatron 4, aided by the generic Darren model that comes installed with the product. The universities have the high-end Simulatron UUI (Ultimate User Interface), enhancing the reality of the simulation experience. Conspiracy theorists point to the “Real Darren” project to explain why people might have memories of visiting Darren, when (in their belief) the principality does not actually exist.

Purpose
Various motives have been attributed those that supposedly have invented the fictitious principality. Some theorize that the US government has invented Darren to prevent examination of covert activities (paramilitary training, prison camps, extraterrestrial research, etc.). Others claim that an imaginary Darren hides the fact that the US government essentially exterminated the Indigenous North American population in the 1800’s. In the case of Real Darren, the objective is variously seen as a harmless student art project, and a more sinister societal hack.

Results
Survey results (interestingly with similar results in and outside the United States) reveal that many people do not believe in the existence of Darren, but a greater number are not aware – or only vaguely aware - of it. While only 15 percent of responders believe in the existence of the Principality of Darren (and know where it resides), and 25 percent do not believe in it, a full 35 percent are not aware of its existence.