Web Challenge

Do you believe everything you read?
Do you think that all "information" is free and available on the Web?
Do you think that everyone who puts up information on the Web is being generous?
Do you think that everything on the Web is of equal value?

YOU NEED HELP!

CyberJournalist Slipups. Try this site to see some problems journalists have had using public internet information. Or try this one to see what gullible people have fallen for over the centuries in every media. The Museum of Hoaxes

Answers the questions below, but before starting you might want to look at these evaluation guides.

  1. What Do Good Academic Sources Look Like?
  2. Evaluating Internet Resources — How Can You Sort the Junk from the Good Stuff on the "Public" Internet?
  3. Questions to Ask Yourself about Website
  4. How to analyze a web address.
  5. Track down a site owner. Another One. And yet another

Problem One: Determine the organization responsible for these sites. They are not who they say they are! Who are they?

(Do not use the hint until you've explored the site thoroughly!)

IslamicConcern.com (hint)

Ryerson Hospital--Dwayne Medical Center (hint)

Problem Two: Determine which of these webpages are based on true academic research. How do you know? Read this What Do Good Academic Sources Look Like? if you're not sure of the criteria.

Aspartame Disease

Institute for Creation Research (evaluate the bibliographic reference)

Regional Studies

Problem Three: Which is the most "objective" of the following sources of information? Explain.

Smoking Section

PHRMA

Dr. Weil.com

Roslin Institute

Problem Four: In just a few words, explain why the following websites were created.

The Great Dinosaur Mystery

Raelian Revolution

Clones-R-Us

Problem Five: Based on the qualifications of the site owners would you use these services or information? Explain.

StocksAtBottom.com

Dr. Koop.com

McWhortle Enterprises, Inc.

Domini Social Investment

Problem Six: Will these websites give your email address to other companies? Do they place "cookies" on your machine?

Amtrak

Noggin

Problem Seven: Correct the spelling and grammar errors in the following paragraph:

*Note: Student Network Resources Inc., and AcaDemon Inc. are legitimate research services and will not be taken advantage of. By utilizing our research assistance service, you, as the client, agree that any essays, term papers, note-lists, theses, outlines, or previously unspecified documents developed for you, the client, by Student Network Resources and AcaDemon Inc, represents an original work created by our company and is provided only for research use. It has been explained to you that plagiarism is illegal and we do not tolerate any form of whole or partial plagiarism. Any custom paper writen by Student Network Resources Inc., and AcaDemon Inc maybe re-sold to other students.

Deciphering Domain Names and URLS

A) Country codes http://www.iana.org/cctld/cctld-whois.htm
B) Generic Top Level Domains http://www.iana.org/gtld/gtld.htm

C) Here's a page that will give you some clues on how to analyze a webpage address.
D)And Another for the same.

Here are some tools for tracking down site registration information [including email addresses and telephone numbers of the registrees]:
E)http://CentralOps.net/co/
F) http://www.internic.net/whois.html
G) http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
H) edu domains: http://whois.educause.net/edudomain/whois.asp

Hint 1: google(advanced phrase)the street address

Hint 2: Check out the website designer's pages

 

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Last updated: 7/28/04. js
http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/sauer/junk.html