How Accurate Is Online Information?
How much credence can we give to information found on the Internet? I know a number of people who read anything online and consider it fact. How many times have you received an email attempting to rewrite history? You might question the validity of the information, but that isn’t the case with everyone. The speed of the Internet can be both a virtue and a vice. Consider the impact of Blogging in the last Presidential campaign. Some people with their own personal Blogs have become their own news service. Where does one draw the line between fact and online fiction?
Some educators won’t accept any sources of online information. They either want it straight from a book or some other accredited organization. Recently I visited one of my former teachers. She indicated that their educational standards don't allow students to cite online resources. If a online citation is provided it needs to be held to the programs standards. Wikipedia isn't considered an authoritative source. Wikipedia's validity has been questioned on a number of occasions. Yet it is difficult to search on something without a Wikipedia link appearing near the top of the SERPs.
Several universities and accredited organizations publish their findings online. Does information found on a .gov or .edu carry with it an acceptable level of validity?
Web users are left with an interesting juxtaposition. In many cases some of the most innovative ideas can be found online months if not years before appearing in books. At what point in time do we acknowledge online information as valid or invalid?
Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below:
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