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She Said: Part 2 of the Internet Controversy

© Julia Buitrago

I suppose I could describe myself as an electronic junkie. Every morning I wake up to my digital alarm clock, microwave a cup of tea, and sit down to read the online version of my local newspaper.

At my job as an editor, I have started a one-person crusade against proofreader's marks. If I see an error, I fix it on screen instead of marking an obscure scribble on the paper printout. When I write a manuscript, I go directly for the word processor. I have the same red pen on my desk at work from when I started several years ago. Every few months I use it to jot a note on a post-it to keep the ink from drying out. Forget memos. . . I prefer the ease of e-mail. Since my bills have gone online, I don't think I've given the post office any patronage. I still have 32 cent stamps which I haven't used up.

Why do I use the internet for research? Because it works. Without driving across town and wandering aimlessly through a library, I can find information from the obvious to the obscure. I can look at conflicting viewpoints and draw my own conclusions and then find facts to back my viewpoint. Does this mean that my writing has bias? Sure it does, but doesn't every written document have some bias in there somewhere?

It is easy to fall into the trap of "if someone put it in a book, it must be true." When I use the internet, I determine whether I feel the information is worthy of print or not.

Generally web pages fall into four main categories, each with a different level of accessibility, depth, and reliability.

1. Print to Online sites: These are web sites from major media outlets who place information from their printed magazines, newspapers, or encyclopedias into an online format. They tend to be very user-friendly and contain added features like sound or video clips that you wouldn't find in the printed version. An example would be www.newsweek.com.

2. Educational Research Web sites: Although these web sites contain a substantial amount of information, they tend to be more difficult to find and less eye-catching. Generally these sites are supported by a college or university, so the information is on the cutting edge of the research front. Unfortunately, many of these web sites are only up for as long as the person who compiled the information is a student or faculty member. Once they leave, the information is removed. This will keep the information from becoming stale, however. More often than not, the web site will have a .edu extension in its address.

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