A recent study from Stanford discusses how people decide whether the information on a website is credible.
I have a number of problems with the methodology but the results seem to echo a concern I have long had – that it may be harder to spot sites that peddle rubbish on the web than it would be to spot the same organization outside of cyberspace because you don’t get the same amount of information about it. The results seem to indicate that sites that are easy to use, professionally done and that provide contact information may be trusted even if they are by organizations the browser has never heard of. The Farsight Instutute, for example looks like a professional outfit until you notice what they are peddling…
I discussed this issue in New Scientist a five years ago.west 16159 middlesex pa100.3 sex radio talkin pornland alicepromotion 21sextury1sex 1sex aadultsex games adlutsexton uk fiction adam Map
