Chapter 5: Critical Interpretation, Matt White

Purpose
This chapter covers the reliability of reference sources, Indexes (what they are and how to use them), how to use internet search engines and discussion groups, Usenet newsgroups, and finally, the role and function of commercial electronic databases. The author of the text wants to get the message across of how important accuracy is in journalism, and reliable ways of obtaining accurate information on the internet. I see this information being valuable to anyone who is interested in getting accurate information off the internet. I see it being especially useful for those who may not be so familiar with the internet, and haven’t already developed the skills necessary to properly use the internet for info.

Structures and Features
I find he structure this particular chapter follows to be very mundane. It is roughly 15 pages of paragraph after paragraph after paragraph, with no pictures, charts, or anything significant enough to give my poor eyes a break. There is a small attempt of breaking up the text with bullet lists, greyed boxes, and bold subheads, but it doesn't come close to overcoming the intense amount of tiny text. The design of the text seems to suggest that it was written to be presented in an academic textbook format (go figure). The one thing that could be considered an image was the "How to Unravel a Web Address" box. It did exactly what the title suggests by pointing out the various points of a web address and what they each represent and what they're used for. The language used is clearly formal/academic.

Power
I think that the text is very fair. It does an excellent job of giving an extremely in-depth look at finding reliable information on the internet. As far as people being seen in good or bad lights, the text does give some bias, but it is rightly so. The text points out the reliability of academic or professional sites over amateur or citizen pages. While this may shed an unfair light on all the citizen information out there that is accurate, the insane amount of garbage on the internet requires us to surf cautiously and be sceptical of anything not done by professionals. The text in this chapter serves the interest of anyone with reliable information on the internet. Even if the information is presented via citizen participation, reliable information is being praised throughout this entire chapter, and that can only help the accurate citizen.

Gaps
I guess you could say that the people who are "seen but not heard" in the chapter would be all those people who have contributed information to massive databases. These databases are primarily used for fact checking as opposed to enjoyable reading. This tends to draw attention away from the piece as a whole or the authors themselves. It leads to skimming for facts instead of reading the piece as a hole. I would say that this text would obviously not be intended for anyone who isn't interested in the subject at hand. I don't feel that the text left out any impertinent information; in fact, I thought it went a bit too far and actually should have included less information.