The world wide web and information

[HydrogenBond]

The world wide web (WWW) is revolutionizing the transfer of information. On the web one can find almost anything they want or need. The problem with web information is not in the web itself, but rather in the way people search for information.

 

For example, if one wanted to know about widgets, you search for widgets and 150,000 hits come up in .23 seconds. Not all these articles are factual or accurate. There is a lot of misinformation and personal interpretation mixed in with the good stuff. At the same time, the top ten list is often bought. One can pay to get their site at the top of a search list.

 

Here is the dilemna. Although the most accurate information is available on the web, most people do not search deep enough to always find it. The result is not only more information and but more misinformation telling people what to believe. Can anyone see how this can be a problem. I am not saying the members of the forum don't know how to do web research. What I am saying is the majority often wants a quick fix that can lead to them to accept misinformation for reality.

[moo]

No argument here. I'm also amazed at the number of people who do not know to use + and - before search words to require they be included or excluded (respectively) in the search results; or to enclose a string of words in quotes to force a search for the complete string rather than single occurences of each word. :)

 

moo