What Should I Read? A Guide to Evaluating Information
the teachers of online courses. Seek out folks who have taken and are taking the course. Are they satisfied? Are there complaints that are widespread issues? I've run across a few online courses that seemed promising, until I talked to my friends online. According to them, the teacher/website owner doesn't really have one clue what she's talking about, and may have actually copied an entire course from someone else. I feel pretty fortunate that I asked around before paying for the course, especially since she doesn't offer any sort of refunds!
There are a few things to beware of while networking, though. Watch out for personal issues. If it's apparent that someone has an axe to grind with a particular author, teacher, or Webmaster then their opinions may not be valid... unless, of course, they're backed up by more neutral sources. Remember that people have biases. I cannot stress this enough. Even the most trusted, neutral, informed person has biases. Keep an eye out for those biases in their opinions.
Also, be aware of the debate in the Wiccan community over whether one should charge for teaching. Many Wiccans feel that it is unethical to charge for teaching Wicca. Others feel it's appropriate to charge enough to be compensated for space rental or materials provided. And others feel it's appropriate to charge for anything you feel like, as much as you feel like. For this reason, I caution you against the mindset that the more expensive a resource is, the better. The best online Witchcraft course I've ever seen, found at Annwn's Cauldron (http://www.annwnscauldron.com/temple/les... is 100% free.
Out of all the online courses I've found, this is the one I'm taking, for many reasons. It's free. It's taught by someone I know is reputable... I know the teacher online, and I know a lot of others who know her online and share my opinion. Through my critical evaluation of the material that's presented, all of which is online for your perusal at any time, I can see that it's original. The teacher provides feedback through her free message board at every stage of the course. She doesn't make a lot of wild promises, and her information doesn't contradict things I've learned from other reputable sources. The site is heavy on information and low on flashy decorations. In other words, I get a lot of value for my time, and not a lot of headaches
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