[BC] libraries vs on-line research

[Barry Mishkind]

At 08:49 AM 6/27/2006, Al Stewart wrote
>There is also a great deal of misinformation in the hardcopy 
>versions of information ... books ... magazines ... specialty 
>publications. Granted it is a lot easier to publish on the web.

         Yes... the famous AT&T PR book on WEAF
         is one example. There are many others.

>I have more than one friend/acquaintance/relative who seem to 
>specialize in grabbing hold of misinformation and treating it as 
>fact. They do that from the web ... but they were also doing that 
>from print publications or word of mouth prior to their access to 
>the web. Mostly it has been a case of finding "information" that 
>agrees with some aspect of preconceived notions.

         Among the symptoms are people who use only
         *one* source for statements, and are happy
         to cut and paste anything that agrees with
         what their conception is.

>Unfortunately the web has made it possible to get more wrong info 
>... and get it faster. ...  However it does make the real 
>information -- whatever that is -- more readily available. ... 
>Living in a small town far from major sources of research, I find it 
>most useful. But I do have to know what the information sources are, 
>and what their pre-established prejudices and whatever might be.

         Can't argue too much with that!