Trusting+Blogs+and+Other+Online+Spaces

Overview
This moment is history has been called the [|Information Age]. This is because technology, especially the internet, has made information more accessible than previously imaginable. People no longer have to drive to the library, look up the card catalog, and find that the ten year old book you were hoping would answer your question is available. These days, one has an almost unlimited number of resources to answer one's most random and specific questions. The question is, why do people trust the information they find online and what are some of the clues to credibility that internet browsers can look for? Specifically, blogs are a very popular segment of the internet which people rely on for information. This is especially interesting because blogs usually reflect the blogger's [|personal opinion]. One characteristic of blogs that might entice someone to trust it is that the blog is popular. Often people become followers of blogs because they were referred to them by friends or other people that they trust. Of course, this does not actually provide any substantial evidence that the online source of information is, in fact, accurate. Writing ability and style are also good indicators to people of whether they feel that they can trust a blog. I think that people are more likely to trust a blog that is written by someone who displays a high level of education and knowledge. Also, if the tone of the blogger's writing speaks to a browser, he/she is more likely to trust the blogger because one will feel like one knows that writer and that they have shared values. Wikipedia is perhaps the most popularly used source of information. Many people use it on a daily basis. One of the reasons people trust it, is because of this popularity. However, the founder of Wikipedia [|has spoken out] to clarify that Wikipedia should be trusted only for some purposes, stating that it is not always a definitive source. One way one can verify the validity of a Wikipedia post is to click on the links to the sources it uses. Internet sources of information actually make it much easier to verify sources than other sources of information because usually it just takes a click of the mouse. This is because sites like Wikipedia usually create links to their sources throughout the piece, just as I have in this wiki post. I think another main reason people trust sites like wikipedia, is that they are relying on the fact that the masses are going to hold these sites accountable. And eventually, because there are so many people checking this system, the truth will be insisted upon. **History**

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**Opinion**
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**Future Trends?**
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