The content published within the world wide web is made up of valuable resources as well as general garbage.  Some garbage conceals itself behind fancy menus and pseudo-intellect.  The challenge is how to differentiate between the two.  Howard Rheingold, in his article Crap Detection, mentions several ways to determine a website’s credibility.  Some of his methods include identifying the author and his or her credibility, if sources are provided for factual information, and what others have to say about the website and its author.

Before I had known of the ways to determine a website’s credibility, I relied heavily upon my own instinct.  In retrospect, this routine contained huge pitfalls.  If I desperately needed information, I could will myself to see past obvious red-flags, and believe that the information was factual.  Now, with an arsenal of websites and improved comprehension of “crap detection,” I am well prepared to seek authenticity online.

I have put Rheingold’s methods to the test, both in and out of class, and have found that his process was surprisingly successful.  In an exercise to find sources for insufficient Wikipedia articles, I was required to search through numerous websites in order to find credible sources for certain statements.  For example, when trying to improve an article on 007 GoldenEye Reloaded, a newly released video game, I came across many seemly factual websites.  However, upon closer inspection, many had just paraphrased the Wikipedia article I had just reviewed, and added personal opinions.  It took me hours to discover a genuinely factual website containing the information I needed to cite the statement:

“Each computer player possesses its own AI-bot system to make them dynamic and challenging.”

Although the process was tedious, the satisfaction gained was well worth the effort.  Learning how to critically evaluate a website and its author in terms of credibility and factuality is a skill that will definitely be of use.