Product Description
As the Internet has become flooded with untrustworthy information, some of which is intentionally misleading or erroneous, this book teaches Web surfers how inaccurate data can affect their health, privacy, investments, business decisions, online purchases, and legal affairs. Bringing together the world’s leading information-age observers, analysts, writers, and practitioners, this analysis reveals the Web as fertile ground for deception and misinformation. These experts provide hard-won advice on how to recognize misinformation in its myriad forms and disguises. Included are an array of tips on how to evaluate Web sites for quality and bias, checklists for navigating the Internet more effectively, and advice f… More >>
Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet
I think the title of the book says it all. Yes, there is misinformation out there, but most savvy or even reasonable smart people see it for what it is. Books like this just further the fear that people have about using the Internet for research, and downplay the incredible contribution the Internet has made. This is a clear case of creating drama and “intrigue” to sell books. Shame on Anne Mintz and her fellow for contributors for creating their own “Web of Deception.” And shame on Forbes Inc for using their weight to make it credible. Rating: 1 / 5
This is an invaluable resource for information professionals in any realm, be it the corporate boardroom or the neighborhood public library. Its many contributors give insight into how the Internet is being used to disseminate information, and how online communities function. This book is not engendered by fear, but out of the reality that misinformation (erroneous information) and disinformation (malicious information) abounds on the Web, and real harm can be done. I hope that the editor and contributing authors will update it, given new trends in online communities, and the many changes in the world of search. If I may suggest the title: “Web 2.0 of Deception.” Rating: 5 / 5
This is an important collection of articles, written by people who have been leaders in analyzing information retrieval and content well before there was a web. This is an eye-opener
even for other experienced information professionals but it is especially important for people who are relying on the web as their source of personnel and professional information.
Rather than scaring folks from using the web, this book is an incredibly useful tool in helping individuals, other researchers, teachers, and business people to use the web more effectively.
Thanks to Anne Mintz and her colleagues for publishing this book and thanks to her employer for supporting her efforts in making us all more responsbile users of web information. Rating: 5 / 5
“Web of Deception” is a wake-up call to adult on-line users of the Internet and arguably the most important book of the Cyber Age to date. Its focus is on the deliberate deceptions on the Net that can wreak havok on your health, privacy, investments, purchases, business decisions, and legal affairs.
Editor Mintz and her collegial experts wrote the book not to scare but to empower Internet users to take control. “Web of Deception” should be required reading for Internet users and in all computer classes. It can also be a valuable text in a course on the Dark Side of the Information Age. Rating: 5 / 5
Anne Mintz has gathered the collective wisdom of nine experts on web research, and each chapter is full of useful advice on how to suss out misinformation on the Net. In addition to the obvious scams, it covers issues such as what search engines DON’T search, how health misinformation gets disseminated, and how to evaluate the validity of information on the web.
This should be required reading for anyone with access to the web. Rating: 5 / 5