Re: On Bad Information and the Internet

[Bob Flood <bflood@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

At 10:40 AM 12/4/96 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>>>> ERIC GOLDIN <goldinem@songs.sce.com>  12/3/96, 09:48am >>>
>     I agree with Pete Darnell's comments.  However if you want to
>see 
>     just how far you need to go or want to find out where those
>vocal 
>     minorities stand, take a look at the opposing points of view:  
>     While surfing the net recently, my wife came across the website 
>     below.  All our debates about LNTH and adequate safety standards
>     for workers and the public, pale in comparison to the 
>     misrepresentation and outright fabrication that we face.
>     See:  http://www.ratical.com/radiation/
> _________________________________________________________________   
>
>Those who are concerned about the quality of information in today's
>world might want to read an article...

An important point generally not understood or perhaps deliberately ignored
in society today is the fact that the Internet does not create new
information or improve the quality of anyone's data. It is simply a quantum
leap in our ability to move data around. The data move faster and to more
people than ever before, but it's no better data than before. Another
example of the GIGO concept, Garbage In, Gospel Out - i.e., "we got it from
the computer, so it must be right."


Bob Flood
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
(415) 926-3793     bflood@slac.stanford.edu
Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are mine alone.