Believe it or not

I had written a while back about how the internet has made us all instant experts by providing immediate access to a world of information. I've come to reconsider that perspective, however, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that much of what appears online is not well substantiated, to put it kindly. Like you, I get a fair number of emails with internet generated data, often with attachments and links to sites and videos, presenting information for my edification or entertainment. What I've learned is if this information seems amazing, irrefutable, etc., it is generally wrong or at least severely biased. Whether it is hoax or error, so much of what I see on the internet is just plain wrong and represented as fact, especially that which I receive as part of an email.

It used to be, "Don't believe everything that you read." Now it's "Don't believe everything on the internet." In fact, if it's on YouTube, or batched in a Ripley's type email, it might be safer to Believe it Not.