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Blog Entry 76 of 154 Computing and you!
What's going on in computing, why it's important to master the productivity software on your computer and how to harness the power your computer provides you at work and in your home.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~VideoProfessorBlog

Good News and Bad News
Contributed by: John Scherer   on 10/7/2008

The great thing about the Internet is everyone has access to it.

The bad thing about the Internet is everyone has access to it.

Here's an example. A CNN site called iReport posted a report that Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs suffered a heart attack. Apple shares immediately took a dive.

Just one problem. The story wasn't true. Oops.

Stuff gets posted all the time these days that isn't true. It's gotten to the point that both Presidential Campaigns have websites designed to deal with false statements and accusations.

The CNN site is what's called "user generated content." Lots of issues here, not the least of which is the "user" part.

Legally, sites like this are similar to a library. The site provides the "shelves" but the "books" are the responsibility of the author.

Then there's the 1st Amendment.

This all will get more complicated before government, the law and society comes to grips with it, if at all.

So just because it's on the Internet, doesn't make it true. To its credit CNN works very hard to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen. Dozens of local stations and newspapers have their own versions of the same thing.

Sometimes the World Wide Web is more like the Wild Wild West.

Ronald Reagan had it right when he said "Trust, but verify."

John W. Scherer
Video Professor, Inc.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Scherer

Lakewood , CO

John Scherer has posted 154 blog entries and 2 comments since joining on 7/17/2008. John Scherer 's average blog rating is 4.45.
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