This week’s readings proved quite enlightening at times, and served as a review / reinforcement of online tools and practices I have become familiar with over the past few years as a returning student. Both Howard Rheingold and Scott Rosenburg recommend “whois” as an expert source for detecting “crap” and though I have never personally used it, I have heard of its potential for this sort of detection. The other tips I liked from Rosenburg’s “In the Context of the Web Context: How to Check out any Web Page” include; checking the site’s established date, paying attention to the ads, checking for feedback options, and plugging in pieces of the text to Google to check for originality. I also liked the idea of googling the URL or reaching out to the author/ site owner. Most of these are not new but can be effective when a site is questionable. His insight was appreciated and very much to the point.
Neil Postman’s “Bullshit and the Art of Crap Detection” was my favorite of all the readings. Delivered originally at the National Convention of Teachers on 11/28/69, using the phrase coined by Ernest Hemingway, his words can be applied to the art of crap detection discussed in relation to web research today. Postman covers pomposity, and fanaticism in writing, often more visible now due to the broad spectrum of online “writers” we are faced with daily. I especially liked his reference to “inanity” as everyone has an opinion and people, particularly celebrities, seem to have more weight with the public and the media due to their following rather than their true understanding of the situation at hand. Postman said that crap detection is embedded in one’s value system. One needs to be aware of their own personal values/ beliefs so as not to be taken in by another’s. That is all that crap detection really is—whether online or in life! He goes on to say that one needs a keen sense of the ridiculous, and crap detection is inborn once anyone becomes their own person. His recommendation that children should be taught how to identify false communication, back in 1969, made me stop and think. Wow! Now, students need that ability both for everyday life AND to thrive online.
Howard Rheingold’s Net Smart is a thoroughly constructed guidebook for working and playing on the web. He finally gets down to business in “Crap Detection 101” and the similarities between his and Postman’s dated yet timeless essay are numerous. Rheingold passes along some websites to verify the validity of search engines as well as tips for using the web to advantage while researching projects. Many of his suggestions are common knowledge, even to an older, returning student such as myself. But some sources prove helpful along with his personal process for checking credibility and being mindful when online. Students and all web users first need to apply the rules or ideas suggested in Postman’s witty, down-to-earth essay from 1969. If one learns how to detect bullshit in all aspects of life, particularly what people try to impose on you as a student, and then place personal values as the metronome for their personal crap-detector, they will discover that common sense goes a long way in all fields. If something seems wrong for you—or wrong as a scholarly source—then it deserves further investigation.
Another point Rheingold made was the tendency of people to follow sources that “reinforce their own beliefs” (95). Better to research all information and try to challenge one’s own views, in an effort to truly grasp all aspects of a project. This is where infotention and mindfulness become important factors. Infotention is, sadly, a fact of life but one that can be remedied by blocking all distractions and placing focus on the present task. Easier said than done—yes, but far from impossible. Anyone who has children, or has babysat kids or pets knows it is a learned skill. Participation Power, after the negative connotations of detecting crap, felt like a breath of fresh air. The information on blogs, blogging and blogosheres was encouraging and curation—now that I understand its function—is a wonderful tool as well as an agent to help and in return, be helped. The reciprocity these online tools offer is something worth exploring. And I agree with Scoble’s advice to. “Pick something very specific and become the world authority.” In the world of online sources, better to be an expert in one small area then try to cover many places with little facts to back oneself up. I really liked Rheingold’s discussion of Twitter, as this is one forum which is still fairly new to me. I agree that the benefits derived from using it for a purpose such as promotion or connectivity can be a very beneficial experience.
And Martha, the U.S. Department of Conspiracy Theories, IS a conspiracy…
Neil Postman’s “Bullshit and the Art of Crap Detection” was my favorite of all the readings. Delivered originally at the National Convention of Teachers on 11/28/69, using the phrase coined by Ernest Hemingway, his words can be applied to the art of crap detection discussed in relation to web research today. Postman covers pomposity, and fanaticism in writing, often more visible now due to the broad spectrum of online “writers” we are faced with daily. I especially liked his reference to “inanity” as everyone has an opinion and people, particularly celebrities, seem to have more weight with the public and the media due to their following rather than their true understanding of the situation at hand. Postman said that crap detection is embedded in one’s value system. One needs to be aware of their own personal values/ beliefs so as not to be taken in by another’s. That is all that crap detection really is—whether online or in life! He goes on to say that one needs a keen sense of the ridiculous, and crap detection is inborn once anyone becomes their own person. His recommendation that children should be taught how to identify false communication, back in 1969, made me stop and think. Wow! Now, students need that ability both for everyday life AND to thrive online.
Howard Rheingold’s Net Smart is a thoroughly constructed guidebook for working and playing on the web. He finally gets down to business in “Crap Detection 101” and the similarities between his and Postman’s dated yet timeless essay are numerous. Rheingold passes along some websites to verify the validity of search engines as well as tips for using the web to advantage while researching projects. Many of his suggestions are common knowledge, even to an older, returning student such as myself. But some sources prove helpful along with his personal process for checking credibility and being mindful when online. Students and all web users first need to apply the rules or ideas suggested in Postman’s witty, down-to-earth essay from 1969. If one learns how to detect bullshit in all aspects of life, particularly what people try to impose on you as a student, and then place personal values as the metronome for their personal crap-detector, they will discover that common sense goes a long way in all fields. If something seems wrong for you—or wrong as a scholarly source—then it deserves further investigation. 
Another point Rheingold made was the tendency of people to follow sources that “reinforce their own beliefs” (95). Better to research all information and try to challenge one’s own views, in an effort to truly grasp all aspects of a project. This is where infotention and mindfulness become important factors. Infotention is, sadly, a fact of life but one that can be remedied by blocking all distractions and placing focus on the present task. Easier said than done—yes, but far from impossible. Anyone who has children, or has babysat kids or pets knows it is a learned skill. Participation Power, after the negative connotations of detecting crap, felt like a breath of fresh air. The information on blogs, blogging and blogosheres was encouraging and curation—now that I understand its function—is a wonderful tool as well as an agent to help and in return, be helped. The reciprocity these online tools offer is something worth exploring. And I agree with Scoble’s advice to. “Pick something very specific and become the world authority.” In the world of online sources, better to be an expert in one small area then try to cover many places with little facts to back oneself up. I really liked Rheingold’s discussion of Twitter, as this is one forum which is still fairly new to me. I agree that the benefits derived from using it for a purpose such as promotion or connectivity can be a very beneficial experience.
And Martha, the U.S. Department of Conspiracy Theories, IS a conspiracy…
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