Something I found very interesting in our textbook, Creative Editing for Canadian Journalists, was the section on the importance of knowing where you get your information online. Pages 97 to 99 shares pertinent information that everyone who uses the Internet should be aware of.
It includes a breakdown of what a web address contains and what that means for the audience. HelpBytes has created a page on their website that breaks down the URL (uniform resource locator), much in the same way the Creative Editing for Canadian Journalists textbook did. My favorite thing the textbook noted, which the website left out out in its breakdown, was referring to the punctuation :// that falls after the http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) as “A flourish of unnecessary punctuation that has become standard.” Things like this always make me laugh.
I also find websites such as Network Solutions WHOIS intriguing and useful when trying to source the information on a website. You can look up web page’s and find out who owns them and sometimes even get some private information on the buyer of the domain name. Which serves as a good warning to people to be careful with their private information, such as home addresses, on the Internet. But also helps readers work toward understanding where their information is coming from, and put it into context.
Knowing if a web page’s goal is to sell you something, or to simply present facts, or if it is an advocacy page looking to sway public opinion, is the best defense against being fooled into believing falsities or twisted truths. It is always important to think critically about all information you receive, and ask, who said it?
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I really like this post, Katie. Good links, easy to read and understand, and your last sentence sums things up brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteGood article, Katie your use of examples is great the article is sound and explains some interesting facts about the internet.
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