Searching for Truth

One of the running jokes in my household is this: "but I read it on the internet, it must be true".

This, of course, represents the fact that information on the web is strictly a Caveat Emptor, "let the buyer beware", sort of enterprise. So much so that websites like Snopes devote serious energy to debunking the misinformation floating through the e-aether.

Among Mark Twain's many quotable quotes was one condemning "lies, damn lies and statistics". Were he writing today he might well add internet "facts" to the list.

(Except, of course, the original quote is from Benjamin Disraeli, whom Twain was himself quoting, though the misattribution is frequent).

And that's part of the problem, with the proliferation of access to a free online presence (like this one) basically anyone can post on the web. And while I generally agree that this access is a very good thing indeed, it can lead to problems with the use of online citations, and one's own level of credibility.

And I'm just talking now about the common misunderstanding so frequennt to the common wisdom. Needless to say, there also exist many sources of intentional misinformation and propaganda out there just waiting to ensnare the credulous masses. (For example check out this site for shameless propaganda).

And since credibility is absolutely key in the news biz, Google's news aggregator is a special target for refining the search engine's ability to gather news items from around the globe, but to be sure to feature news from the most credible sources:

Now Google is looking to develop technologies that factor in the amount of important coverage produced by a source, the amount of traffic it attracts, circulation statistics, staff size, breadth of coverage and number of global operations.

Since reporters for even the world's most prestigious news organizations can commit the most egregious errors (NYT's Judith Miller's breathless Iraq war jingoism leaps to mind as an example) I have my doubts about whether the algorithmic search for truth will be any more effective than the existential one.

Still, if it will help make my quote attributions correct (and by the way, the "lies, damn lies &c" quote mentioned above may not have been uttered by Disraeli) I'll be all the happier.

Now what's this about college co-eds in my area that want to meet me...?

Oh well, I guess the search for truth on the net continues.