Anyone can write a post on the internet and
claim anything about someone or something. They can distort, exclude,
exaggerate, insult, defame and such without any consequence or accessible
rebuttal to the reader viewing that page.
For example - I could make a claim about
someone or something today, here on this post and a reader could come along and see it,
concluding that what I’ve said is absolutely true.
This is a problem with the internet.
Fact checking has gone out the window. I
saw it on a blog post or a 5 minute you tube video or I read an article by a
random self-proclaimed writer…and that’s all I need. The truth isn’t really
important, just the tidbits of information for one to devour quickly, simply
and easily.
The fast food news feed is all one needs.
The assumption is why would they lie? Why
would it be untrue? Surely someone has fact checked the information, hence it’s
“published” on this webpage or that website. If this was the case, really the
case…then places claiming UFOs are real, reptilians walk among us or there is
a pyramid on the moon might just be true!
Seriously though, many people have been
defamed and misrepresented on the internet and despite asking for recall, it
still exists, And thus it proclaims to the world – it must be true cause you
can “google it”.
In Europe you have the ability to make
places like Google alter the search data giving you more control over your
privacy should misinformation or disinformation become part of the internet.
Unfortunately, the rest of the world has not caught up with this revolutionary
idea.
So just remember folks, the internet can be
full of misinformation…after all, the data on the world wide web was created by
humans - those mischievous creatures!
Fondest Regards,
David "cleaning up the net" Innes
from the beautiful city of Perth, Western Australia
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