WWW – “World Wide Web” or “Wild Wild West”?

As a high school computer applications teacher, I taught my students that “www” stood for “World Wide Web.” I was wrong! It stands for “Wild Wild West.” A place with no order, no governance, and everyone is packing their own set of truths. Their words are their weapons.

The Internet is amazing and a world of knowledge in your pocket. Yet too many people in our society only read the headlines and fall for click bait. Many jump on forums to shout their beliefs like they themselves know much more than the experts they are talking to. So many people race to leave a small business a bad review for what is usually a small, one-time issue but never think to run and review them when they have had an amazing experience.

C’MON Man! 1f644 What is going on here?!?!

A few tech tips with a side of morals:

  • To my former students & friends, please don’t do the things mentioned above.
  • Challenge: Do something nice today and delete one of those bad reviews that may have been irrational or leave a good one for a small business that did an awesome job. This matters more than you know.
  • Express your views in a positive, insightful manner.
    If it’s a business, give them a second chance if it was minor. If it’s a public figure, PLEASE don’t accept gossip as fact and do research yourself.
  • Don’t fall for news media “click bait”1f644 Message the public figure to clarify an issue if you must.
  • Do your research from more than one reliable source.
  • Websites that you can research and feel confident your results are factual (but should still cross-reference)
    Include: .edu .gov
    Sites that anyone could buy and say anything they want: .com .org .net (the big ones)
  • Wikipedia is not a reliable source
  • CONSIDER: When reading a concerned citizens or watchdog type of platform (not naming one in particular because there are so many out there) that this is also an opinion, and the writer may have alternative motives themselves. You never know! Don’t trust everything you read.
  • Local, N.Orleans news media sites are not above the “juicy headlines and half stories” just to increase the clicks to the site. Clicks to their site mean more advertising money for them. I’m not saying that all of the reporting is wrong. I’m saying, do your own research and know where to look.
  • Unfortunately, now-a-days it’s hard to know who to trust. You can’t really take anyone’s word for it anymore. This is another reason that I called it the “Wild Wild West”
  • I will try to post more about how to research factual information as time permits.

Good luck out there in the “www”!

Be smart and be nice!1f609

www

Tip of the day!

When you search a topic on history or government for example, and want to find results only from reliable sources you can follow this example:
“How a bill becomes a law” site:.edu

Internet research tips