We live in an era of information overload. I have come up with an interesting question. How valid is the information we read and find online?
After 12+ years online I have a system that I follow when I rate information I find online. I use this analyse and determine the accuracy of the information that I find especially when troubleshooting or looking for advise.
Does the information make logical/technical sense ?
This is sometimes an immediate give away. Any source of information should contain a high level of common sense to be applied. I am often amazed by how often statements are made without any logical following of any kind. This is often highlighted in online debated about hardware, software or technology. In design I often find this point being illustrated by a problem or solution being overcomplicated or over designed.
Is the information successfully backed up with facts ?
This goes hand in hand with the first statement. If you are going to make statements, especially regarding a solution, problem or a fact is there relevant information elsewhere that can validate your statements or information.
In example: Simply stating that Vista is an expensive operating system is not necessarily true. There are various versions of Vista which have a sliding scale for pricing, available from various online sources. However the first statement is often made and the first impression created. Possibly not the best example but the most recent one I can think of.
Is the online source (website/forum/chat room) trustworthy ?
Is the site that the information is located trustworthy. This is simple really, by sticking to the Vista example, I would rate the feature guide for Vista on the Microsoft Website higher then reading it from a local newsgroup specialising in Linux.
Is this person experienced/expert in his/her field ?
When dealing with forums I rate people’s answers based on their profile. I take into account a person’s age, the way in which he answers the question, and any additional information I can find about a particular person.This also includes whether the solution actually works, and furthermore if the person has actually read the question correctly.
This brings me to a few of my pet hates online:
Reading Disability & Grammar
Before replying to a question read it at least twice and ensure you understand it! I very often read replies and posts that have not addressed the question directly or have no relevance to the person’s question.
Also I tend to raise my eyebrows when someone uses slang or acronyms more then once when it is not required.
Self promotion
When a answer contains statements that are not referring to your own experience, but rather trying to promote your own skills or achievements!
Fictional or False Information
Thumb-sucking in short. When statements or claims are made that cannot be backed up by fact or can be easily proved to be false. However most people tend to believe it since they read it online.
So after a fairly lengthy post, the question to me is, how do you rate the value of the information you receive online ? Or do you just assume everything you read is true ?
