The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Ted Talks video was entertaining and also provided some insight into how the internet operates. The idea that the internet depends on unpaid users to keep it running and police it truly unique. Because of the size of the web, the occurrence of random acts of kindness could have a real impact on the world if enough people were to act together. It can be uplifting to think that so many users choose to use the internet in constructive ways, when most news reports only show the negative side of the internet.

As college students, one of the most relevant topics concerns the use of the internet for research. Internet Detective is a site that briefly looks at the positive and negative sides of using the internet for research. The internet provides a vast range of research work that can be cheaply and rapidly. However, the access to such widespread information can lead to plagiarism, misinterpretation, and the use of false information. Of course the ever present threat of scams, frauds, and hate also effect the use of the internet for research.

The Internet Detective site suggests some other sites that can be used as an aid for internet users. One of these sites, Snopes.com has a good reputation and also can be an entertaining read. While updating many scams running on the internet, the site also has a list of many urban legends and the truth behind them. The self run site created by a husband and wife team is an example of the good that can be found on the internet.