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Web 2.0 and BiasWeb 2.0, the Read/Write Web, offers unparalleled access to trends that shape people's thinking. But before jumping into the fray, it's important to ask, "who is doing the writing?"An overwhelming supply of user-created information in the form of blogs, chat, forums and multimedia makes Web 2.0 feel like the Wild West of the 1800's. This highly interactive Internet is a place for pioneers and adventurers, honest folk and outlaws sifting through mountains of information trying to tell the difference between fool's gold and the real thing. The 21st Century challenge is that mining Web 2.0 yields an uncertain mixture of artificial resources --information created by authors who may be brilliant, deranged and everywhere in between. We've found there are a lot of folks having a hard time telling fool's gold from the 24K stuff! Bottom line: it is essential to consider who is creating all this information and whether there is any real substance to back up the ideas and opinions that anyone can easily publish on the Internet. Your Web 2.0 Prospector's KitFirst, consider the 1% rule. Statistics reveal that for every 100 people online, 1 creates and posts content, 10 comment or try to improve the content and 89 merely view it. Do the opinions of 11% of users make the content a trend? Not necessarily. But if a wave of interest is generated, it's important to know who is creating and commenting on the information before ideas, insights or catch phrases are accepted at face value. Second, suspect bias.Information produced by the average human being is naturally biased. That doesn't make it useless information, however. Anyone who expresses a point of view expresses bias (note: that's a biased statement to which many people subscribe). Knowing an author's purpose for publishing information will help you judge his or her bias and weigh the value of the information. Web 2.0 authors may have hidden agendas. In reference to this problem, Doug Johnson, author of the respected Blue Skunk Blog, has written: "I’ve just decided I won’t read anybody who doesn’t tell me where s/he is coming from." To Doug's credit, his article links to a page that he calls My Freely Admitted Personal Biases as of Sept 06 (subject to change on short notice). Knowing Doug's point of view helps the reader decide whether or not to use the information he provides. Third, search for admissions of bias.When authors reveal their points of view or declare their purpose for writing, they often do so using words like BIAS, DISCLAIMER, PURPOSE, etc. Use the Find Command or Site Search tool with these keywords to track down an author's statement. If you can't find such a statement, your only recourse is to sift through the content looking for other (often subtle) signs of bias. To review a MicroModule on Bias, cli ck here. If you can't get adequate information about the author, follow Doug Johnson's advice, "...don't bother reading it." |
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Practice it now: Visit the three blogs listed below. Use keywords and the Find Command or Site Search tools to locate a statement about each author's purpose for his or her blog. How does this help you decide whether or not the information is useful to you?
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