Don't Trust Everything You Read

Arguably, when researching online it is important to judge the reliability of the source that contains the information. Many websites online are unreliable because of the information they post. Any person can create a website and write information that may or may not be true. When gathering information online first be sure to know where the information is coming from, who is posting it, and how long ago it was last updated.

 

In History class the other day my teacher told us to join up in groups as we would participate in Google a Day. Google a Day is an online search game from Google, http://agoogleaday.com/#game=started. The game asks questions which then forces you to search the internet in order to find the correct answer. The game teaches a lot about the internet. For instance, it teaches that not everything on the internet can be trusted and the first website to pop up may not supply the best information. It teaches students to use all their resources on the internet and search things with more depth.  I found this activity to be challenging, yet fun at the same time. It was challenging finding the answer to some of the questions. When you think you found the right answer from a website and type it into the answer box, and it says “incorrect answer” it can get frustrating. However; it was a fun game to play because it allows you to surf the internet and race against other groups to try and find the answer first.

 

A dependable website must acquire three important aspects. The website must have accuracy, authenticity, and reliability. Accuracy is the state of being correct or precise. This means the website must be a reliable source and the information it contains must be true. Authenticity is the state of being authentic, which means the website is genuine and original.  Reliability is consistently good quality, able to be trusted. The website must contain these three things in order for it to be precise. In class, we were told to search for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and this is the first thing that came up, http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/. This site is not reliable because there is no such thing as a Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. The site cannot be used in school because the information provided is not accurate. The site is authentic because it looks like a professional website and the creator makes you believe the Tree Octopus is real; however the reliability and accuracy of the website is not conceivable.

 

 

 

Lyle Zapato. (no date). Pacific Norhtwest Tree Octopus. Help Save the Endagered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. 9/7/14. http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/