Crap Detection, Megan Perras

Currency

I believe that this article was current as far as technology was concerned. There was a lot of references made to the past technologies as well, which I think aided in making the point that the evolution of information systems creates a need for an evolving information filter. It references twitter and other social media sites which are current and popular media tools. All of the links seem to be useful and working as well.

Reliability

The information provided is cautionary advice, and is expressed as such, which creates an opinion-based reliability. The opinion is backed up with facts and examples which can be checked. The article doesn’t need to be balanced because it is expressed as a personal opinion, but it has a large amount of sites which are helpful and truthful in checking information which you find on the internet. There are links for almost every topic the author discusses.

Authority

Howard Rheingold gives his email, so you have a chance to respond, which gives the reader the authority to create a dialogue. Also, there are areas for the reader to comment and participate in the discussion with others who have explored this topic. The author has a full biography with references and is an author, editor and professor. This creates an aura of credibility surrounding the article. The overall goal of the article seems to be to teach and inform the public about misinformation online and create a forum for discussion.

Purpose/ Point of View

Rheingold gives both fact and opinion within the article. The information is not biased, but seems to be a realistic opinion on how one should approach internet research. The author is selling an idea, but not for personal gain.