Lecture:
This week was about the authenticity of the Internet. We should always question how genuine the web page is and what the purpose of it is (why the designer of the page wrote it/who wrote it).
I was told to remember that no one owns the Internet, no one person runs it, web pages can be about anything and done by anyone. Basically if anyone has access to the Internet, they can create web content.
The web was developed from ARPANET. The web may have become so unruly because security was of little concern so early on. We should be aware of:
- what type of site it is i.e. by looking at the domain type e.g. ".edu, . com, .gov" etc. If it uses the symbol "~" it is a personal homepage.
- Is there references, validation of information, name and date of the publisher etc.
At the end you need to make your own decision on the authenticity and usefulness of the site. Determine the nature of the web page and why it was publishes as well as who published it. Was it for commercial, education, share information, persuade, explain, sell...?
Tasks:1.For the tasks, i was to review a site: http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html
that has strategies for evaluating information found in websites. Strategies they use are:
1. Make sure your in the right place
- Why are you using the web
- use it when it is the appropriate source for the information you are searching.
2. When in doubt
- Look for manipulative reasoning, bias and ambiguity information
- Compare the information to other sources
- Check for supportive evidence (bibliographic citations or links to resources).
3. Consider the source
- Try and find out who created the web page-not just their name but something that indicates about them (are they a good source?)
- Try googling the author
4. Know what's happening
- Try to find out why the web page was created in the first place (inform, persuade, sell etc)
- Who is paying for the site (advertising or sponsorship), this can effect the content and objectivity
- A citation or link should be provided. You shouldn't use the site for research if there is no documentation.
5. Look at details
- Look for good grammar and correct spelling
- Is the language simple or technical and demanding?
- Look for documentations of the facts presented
- Look for the date the page was last revised
- Do graphics serve a cause
- How well do the links work?
- The WayBackMachine can show you how a web page has evolved and changed over the years.
6. Distinguish web pages to pages found on the web
- Was this page designed for the web or was it originally something else?
- If it was originally something else - what was it?
2.The next task i had was to look at the site: http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/Academic/INCO48/sec6-4.htm
In comparing it to the previous site i found that this was also a very informative and useful site for evaluating Internet sources. It had basically everything you need to know about evaluating a site.
3.There was also a reliving the sixties website: http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think60.html This is a website evaluation assignment exercise.
I evaluated two websites:
1. http://www.hippy.com/php/sitetopics.php?topic=1
When i took the site back to the first ( / ) it said at the bottom, "All contents and images © 1997- 2008 by Hip inc". This and the set up i.e. appropriate pictures and layout, make me think that it's so far a good site. I couldn't however find who wrote it. There are a list of articles, which have who wrote them and how many times they have been viewed.
I think this site is genuine by the clear writing and formation it has. The links and headings are clear, as well as having so much information on the site- it is easy to navigate your way around. There is also suggested reading, and you can even choose different languages to read it it (which i found really cool). In my view, the site is well set up and a genuine site.
2. http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/index.html
This site is called, "The Phycadelic '60s". The page is very clear and shows when the site was last updated. I also found under credits that the page was designed by Josie Pipkin, web manager of the university library. As well as the last updated date, it also has that it was chosen as one of cyber teddy's top 500 sites, July 7, 1998. The site in my view is well written and well presented.
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