Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet [Paperback]

Anne P. Mintz (Author), Steve Forbes (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0910965609 | ISBN-13: 978-0910965606 | Publication Date: September 1, 2002 | Edition: 1

As the Internet has become flooded with untrustworthy information, some of which is intentionally misleading or erroneous, this book teaches Web surfers how inaccurate data can affect their health, privacy, investments, business decisions, online purchases, and legal affairs. Bringing together the world's leading information-age observers, analysts, writers, and practitioners, this analysis reveals the Web as fertile ground for deception and misinformation. These experts provide hard-won advice on how to recognise misinformation in its myriad forms and disguises. Included are an array of tips on how to evaluate Web sites for quality and bias, checklists for navigating the Internet more effectively, and advice for those who have been duped.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There's a vast amount of intentionally misleading and erroneous information on the Web, says Anne P. Mintz, the director of knowledge management at Forbes Inc. To help readers recognize and deal with this problem, she has gathered 10 contributors to write Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet. The authors-who range from database experts to consultants to librarians-examine various pitfalls casual Internet users and professionals should watch out for. The subjects include e-commerce fraud, Web sites that "play doctor," identity theft, charity scams and more. One of the book's most revealing chapters is librarian LaJean Humphries's explanation of how to evaluate a Web site. She suggests considering who wrote the site's content, how often it is updated and if the document is well written. A "webliography" lists sites that offer quality information (among them, www.fraud.org and www.charitablechoices.org). Mintz's wise book will be of great help to parents, educators and every Internet surfer.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-The 10 information-industry professionals who contributed essays to this book were commissioned to share their expertise in illuminating and analyzing the "dark side" of the Web. They aim to impart critical-awareness skills, a healthy dose of skepticism, and practical tips to Internet users. By coaching consumers to engage proactively in investigative search techniques, they want to educate an online community that will be less likely to fall prey to hoaxes, charitable scams, identity theft, medical or legal misinformation, and fraudulent e-commerce schemes. Chapters on how to evaluate Web sites and on how search engines work will be particularly valuable to students, arming them with checklists for establishing authority, strengthening their ability to discern bias, and alerting them to considerations of "paid placement" and subtle advertising in ranked search results. Each topic is thoughtfully addressed, documented with excellent examples, and, in some cases, accompanied by remedies or "countermeasures" to pursue to redress a grievance. An extensive index and a Webliography of quality sites mentioned in the text (many representing links to key government and nonprofit resources) round out the book. The multiple authorship of the text causes the writing to be a bit uneven; some chapters are readily accessible to casual readers, while others target a more sophisticated audience. Nevertheless, the book represents a welcome addition to the arsenal of tools offering guidance on identifying trustworthy, accurate data on the Web, and provides a public service by enumerating techniques for spotting misrepresentations.
Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Information Today, Inc.; 1 edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910965609
• ISBN-13: 978-0910965606
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,934,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Book on an Important Topic, October 8, 2002

By 

gary price (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet (Paperback)

Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet is an essential read about a topic many of us deal with several times a day.

General search engines create the databases we search by finding what they can. No time is spent judging and analyzing the accuracy of the site or the reputation of the publisher. Fine, this is how general web search tools work but this is also why it's IMPORTANT that the searcher take a few moments and think about where the material is coming from and who is producing it.

Mintz has assembled an all-star roster of experts to provide the reader with the information and skills needed to recognize, understand, and deal with web credibility and authority issues.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reveals Hidden Deception, October 4, 2002

By 

Carol Tenopir (Knoxville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet (Paperback)

All people who use the web (and that is just about everyone these days) should read this book. It reveals hidden attempts at deception by individuals and groups that hope to purposely mislead. The contributers to Mintz's book collectively remind web users that much on the web is reader beware.
"Web of Deception" provides a cautionary note, but doesn't resort to all out scare tactics. Each chapter is well researched and uses many examples to illustrate purposeful deception by web sites. These contributors obviously know what they are talking about.
The many examples will be especially helpful for teachers and librarians who help others judge the authority and quality of web sites.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vital to anyway using web-info!, October 5, 2002

By 

R. A. Pagell (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet (Paperback)

This is an important collection of articles, written by people who have been leaders in analyzing information retrieval and content well before there was a web. This is an eye-opener
even for other experienced information professionals but it is especially important for people who are relying on the web as their source of personnel and professional information.

Rather than scaring folks from using the web, this book is an incredibly useful tool in helping individuals, other researchers, teachers, and business people to use the web more effectively.

Thanks to Anne Mintz and her colleagues for publishing this book and thanks to her employer for supporting her efforts in making us all more responsbile users of web information.