Don’t be a fool, enlighten yourself! By Ikechi Nnamani & Robert Wan

Introduction As we browsed through Osama, Ollie, and Al we learnt that the internet is not always going to tell the truth, some websites are LIARS! Yeah isn’t that a scary thought? I mean these days we use the internet for almost everything. For example, when you’re presenting a research –based topic in school, wouldn’t you want to be the person laughing at the idiot who had the false information? I think so! In this lesson we will enlighten your perspective on the internet and we will inform you how to identify whether or not some websites are credible.

Step one: Use your common sense! Let’s be honest here. A lot of the people are deceived by the internet is because they don’t stop to question what they’re reading. For example, if a website is claiming that they’ll give you a $1,000,000 if you can “Indentify the celebrity in this picture!” likely it’s a trick. How is it a trick? Well usually in order to receive that big check you must enter either your credit card or social security numbers (two things that should ALWAYS be kept to you and you only!)

Step two: Is the website credible? When browsing through the internet, make sure that you’re looking for sources with authority. For example, websites ending with extensions such as .gov or .edu are affiliated with either the U.S Government or an educational institution. For example, if you’re searching for U.S related issues, visit a website ending with a government extension. These sites are the most credible because they come directly from government data and records. Now just because it ends with .gov doesn’t mean believe everything you read, apply common sense.

Step three: Know your sources It’s a known fact that anybody can run a website for as little as $150.00 a year. This means that just about anyone who has time and money can create a website of their choice. A good example would be http://www.martinlutherking.org/, this website promotes false truths about Martin Luther King II. On this website you will read “..what is not mentioned in this article is that Martin Luther King was having sex with three White women…” which has been verified by credible sources to be false but if you didn’t know the source was traced to an unknown member of the Klu Klux Klan. The King family has been fighting for over a decade to reclaim this website domain but they haven’t had much luck as you can see.

Step four: Where’s the money? Nothing is free in life. So when you are using a website, know where the website gets its money from. For example, you will never find the Fox News website criticizing their owner Rupert Murdoch. People know not to bite the hand that feeds. You will also never find a US newspaper questioning America’s greatness, they can’t offend their readers after all, unless they plan on moving outside the US.

Step five: Suspect EVERTHING! Simply put, don’t believe anything until it has been verified from other sources. Every website on the internet has a agenda. Some are noble, but many are not. Finding information on the internet is like a game. Everyone is out to mislead you, the only way to survive and win is to put on a tin foil hat and start doubting everything. Only when you have verified information is the game over.

1984 One of the crucial pillars of power for the Party in 1984 is its the revision of history and its suppression of information. Through the work of people like Winston Smith, the Party was always right, it was always true. Fortunately, while there are governments that have such practices, our world has something 1984 didn’t, and that is the internet. As Un.spun puts it, “the solution to spin is the Internet, if you use it very carefully.”

Ever wonder if China lies. Watch this interview Ever wonder if China lies. Watch this interview. A bronze medalist in 2000, Yang Yun was supposed to be 16 when she competed in Sydney. At least that was what the government said. Chinese Gymnast

Israel’s Human Shields The use of human shields by the Israeli army was supposed to have been outlawed and banned in 2005. The government and the military assured foreign press and humanitarian groups it would no longer use humans shields. Well, this video shows otherwise. Israel’s Human Shields

One last thing.. However in spite of all this, the internet is the best source of information, but it can also be the worst source of information. Make sure that you are able to see through the spin and establish credibility when surfing the internet. Now that you know what steps to take to do this, you now know how to find credible websites!