How Much Internet Information Do You Believe?

Sunny said:
Good question! I imagine Google has thousands of people busy researching their topics day and night, constantly changing their findings. They look at historical records, written opinions by experts, current news articles,
everything and anything. Probably they have editors examining all the findings and deciding which ones should provide their material, and which should be thrown out.
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Actually I don't think Google manages their content at all. They are a search engine that returns the most popular "hits" on the internet for the topic being searched, and the results are merely links to other websites. Internet businesses can PAY Google to make sure their website pops up in the search results.
 

I use medical and Rx websites a lot, but I discount information unless it is from a reputable source such as the Mayo Clinic, some universities, or WebMD. I like to look up symptoms, treatment, and medications to make sure I am an informed consumer when it comes to health matters. Drug interactions, etc. is important to know and easy to access.
 
Don M. said:
I have found the videos on UTube, and various repair parts sites to be a lot of help when I'm trying to fix something for the first time. Using this data has saved me a bundle, over the years, on appliance and auto repairs, etc. Insofar as health care is concerned, I Always go to sites like WebMD and Mayo Clinic to verify any symptoms I may be experiencing, and the information I receive from a doctor. Much of the "news" that appears on the Internet...political, financial, etc., is usually just the writer's "opinion", and should Not be taken at face value until multiple sources are checked.
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I totally agree.
 

As Don says YouTube videos are really helpful as you
can see the process, but for anything else if it is not
sensitive or embarrassing I would ask for advice in a
place like this, there are plenty of people here with a
lot of experience of life and my problem at the time
may well have been experienced by somebody here.

I know that we don't really know each other in a
physical sense but we trust each other up to a point,
so in that way, we have confidence in each other.

There will be several different suggestions and all could
be correct.

Mike.
 
Internet research is like any other research. Check the source, check the source's source, and verify, verify, verify. It was no different before the Internet. Remember all those "old wives' tales" and snippets of folk wisdom? Some wise some not so much.

Over the years I've posed technical questions on a variety of technical boards. The detailed responses came overwhelmingly from unpaid experts who took time from their lives to help me learn what I needed to know. While there is plenty of bad stuff on the 'net, there are many more instances of people extending kindnesses to one another, even when there is zero likelihood that they will be financially or otherwise compensated for those kindnesses.

Youtube videos are a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I've learned volumes about topics as diverse as crocheting, Keurig maintenance, squeezing extra toner from my printer cartridge, Excel spreadsheet tricks, professional chefs' knife skills, oodles of cooking tricks, and who knows what all else. My latest query? How to measure one's finger to choose the proper splint size.

I would hate to leave out Wikipedia. What a great starting place for a general overview on almost any subject.
 

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