UG said:

If you've taken a half way decent course in folklore in college, you are as well equipped as snopes to suss out the questionable.

Two comments:

Many have not taken a half way decent course in folklore in college. it's nice to have someone do the legwork.

For those who have taken such a course, most will not do the work to suss out the questionable. Snopes does the homework most of us either are not equipped ("haven't taken the course") to do, or have not thought to do, or don't have the time to do, or are too lazy (too often that's me, unfortunately) to do.

My hat is off to Snopes. On those occasions when I've checked that site on a subject on which I happen to have knowledge, I've found them dead on-target.

Dave Oesterreich