Crap Detection, Max Rausch

Okay, let's go through this Crap Detection process methodically, shall we? Does Howard Rheingold's article pass the test that he himself advocates?

First off, does it have credibility? The article itself is posted on a reputable journalistic website, Home of the San Francisco Chronicle, with recent news stories adorning the home page. of course, the article is not a news story, but even an opinion piece needs a a certain degree of credibility to be featured on such a site.

Next, we see if the sources cited in the article are reliable. In fact, links are provided throughout the article so that the audience may verify this for themselves. This forthcoming style makes him easier to trust, and lets us know that, to paraphrase the man himself, he is not actually trying to pull one over on us. the presence of the links themselves would not be adequate if they did not lead to trustworthy sources, but Rheinegold has based his thoughts on insight from reliable and trusted sources from the Web.

What about authority? Is Mr. Rheingold a reliable source? Wikipedia says he's a critic, writer, and teacher who specializes in the cultural, social and political implications of modern communications technology. And if Wikipedia says he's reliable, he probably is. Granted, that might not be enough for some people to lend him their time, but if we ask Google, then we can easily confirm that he is in fact a knowledgeable person who has been writing on related subjects for some time now.




Finally, we have to consider the point of view of the author himself. Does he have any ulterior motives besides informing us for the sake of doing so? His background as a teacher would seem to indicate that informing for its own sake is not outside his nature. Moreover, his message is one that has universal appeal-he is not advocating a political or idealogical perspective. He is merely informing us on how to protect ourselves when surfing the web.


Note: image from clipartof.com