Reading Report # 1

This article "Web Hoaxes, Counterfeit sites, and other Spurious Information on the Internet" was written to educate Internet users about false information found that resembles truthful information. Disinformation, parody, spoof, malicious, fictitious, and comedy are all forms of false information. This Information is allowed on the Internet because of freedom of speech. Although if someone where to use a site for reference when seeking medical advice, someone could get hurt. That is why use should always be somewhat skeptical before banking on the information to be true. Spoof and parody sites are easier to spot because of the humor involved. Sites like MartinLutherKing.org are a horse of a different color because at first look it seems like a legitimate Martin Luther King website with pictures and quotes but as you read into the site a little deeper connections with white supremacy groups surface. Many different aspects of our life is affected by these websites. From websites claiming male pregnancy is possible to false information about business mergers and acquisitions. There are many groups devoted to exposing these false websites but web literacy is very important. There is nothing worse then writing a research paper with false information on it. A good way to spot false websites is to check the URL. Like if a .com is expected and it says .org. Look for other obvious signs like humorous or satirical language. Check suspicious domain names, and be conscious of any suspicious links. Also the advanced search option can keep you from stumbling upon any disinformation by accident.