Free Website Content - Credibility Online
Credibility online is becoming more and more
of an issue. Anyone can have a blog or post to a forum and
anyone can edit wiki entries. Web surfers are beginning
to comprehend that just because it is in print does not
necessarily mean that it is true. In fact, in today's online
world, the collective truth might be the closest thing we
can get to the real truth. Peer policing and social bookmarking
have become common in the online world.
Human nature invariably prompts a level of
trust;if it is written, it must be true. We live in a generation
where we expect authors, editors and publishers that are
qualified to write on various topics. What qualifications
are required to post a blog, write an online article, or
edit a wiki? Some web surfers may find the answer startling:
None. Expertise is no longer a prerequisite. Wikipedia is
a popular online reference, that frequently obtains top
ranking in search engines as a reference source. How many
Wikipedia readers realize that Wikipedia can be edited by
anyone at anytime, regardless of their qualifications.
The concept of using peers to review posts
is not without problems, while obvious vandalism is often
quickly addressed, minor inaccuracies can remain for a fairly
long time. Perhaps, persistence is the key. How many of
us have the time to constantly make corrections to a reference
source? Perhaps the differences are mere nuances, or perhaps
a difference of opinion. In the case of a wiki preservation
of the reference is subjected to a democratic process or
even worse, mere persistence. Will historical perspectives
on hot political issues on Wikipedia be reflected by the
most persistent group in the future?
The Internet is an evolving medium and unlike
encyclopedia or a reference book it is not static. While
it is easy to determine the age of an encyclopedia, tracking
a web page's origin is far more complex. Syndication further
complicates content credibility. While the original webmaster
might be diligent in keeping information accurate and up
to date. The accuracy of archives and syndicated content
becomes a quagmire. There is no guarantee that each syndicated
copy will remain accurate, or up to date. As the original
publisher has no control over the content. Should webmasters
and publishers avoid phrases that are not date specific
"This year there were" moving to a more formal "In 2006
there were "?
Suggested steps that will lead to improved
online credibility:
1. Education
It is critical that we educate both adults and youngsters
about the nature of content on the Internet. Students should
be taught to not only cite their sources, but also to establish
the expertise of their source. This might seem excessive,
but students should second source all items and assign a
level of credibility to their sources.
2. Full Disclosure
Like traditional journalists, bloggers, publishers, and
webmasters should fully disclose relationships and expertise
when writing about a specific field or providing advice
on a topic where they have a personal interest. Publications
and publishers should always maintain transparency between
advertisements and editorial content.
3. Establish Sources
As in life we build confidence through relationships, so
too, we need to build relationships in the online communities.
Sources which have provided accurate information over time,
should be assessed as more reliable than new sources. While
search engines are working to develop algorithms to assess
the quality of a website's content , nothing can be a replacement
for personal experiences over an extended period of time.
If a source has provided misleading or incorrect information,
treat the source as unreliable.
4. Date Content
Quality publishers should make an effort to date content.
Perhaps the statistical information was accurate at one
point in time but due to the passage of time, is no longer
an accurate reflection of current trends. Any statistical
information should be framed with dates in which the data
was collected. Additionally all factual information should
be framed with dates.
The vast majority of research conducted today
uses the Internet as a primary source. It is critical that
the data being collected online is an accurate reflection
of facts and is not merely conjecture, opinion, or old information.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and
podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage
http://www.notepage.net
a wireless text messaging software company.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in
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is included and the links are active. A courtesy copy of
the issue or a link to any online posting would be greatly
appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
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