July 8, 2010

Blogs Are Not Always Reliable Sources for Information

It concerns me that so many people, mostly young, accept anything in print as fact.

I have had discussions with people in forums who are seriously misinformed and when I ask for a source to back up their information they give places like eHow, Ask.com or Yahoo answers (which completely fits it’s title) or other opinion sites. When I pull up the link the individual gives links to other blogs as referance sources like Blogger.

Anyone can write a blog and tell you this is the way it is. They don’t have to be knowledgeable or accurate in the least. It is their opinion the same as the guy on the bus sitting next to you spouting his ideas.

Opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one and some of them stink.

Recently Google has had to clean up their act. People no longer want advice from people who sound like kids using text speak, they want medical advice from reputable sites like the Mayo Clinic, not someone with a keyboard who happens to use the right search words to get his blog at the top of the list.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good sources of information out there and if you know what to look for you can find some good ones, but don’t count on a blog about prostrates being accurate just because someone calls themselves a doctor unless you know who they are and that they do in fact have a medical degree.

Double check everything you read before trying or believing it.

Also don’t take everything you see on YouTube as accurate. I’ve seen a few nuts giving relationship advice or heaven forbid, medical help when they aren’t in the least bit qualified to do so. Just because someone takes the time to make a great looking film clip doesn’t mean they know what the heck they are talking about.

If I give you advice I try my hardest to find reputable web sites to back up my findings and let you make your decision whether you want to believe me or not.

Here are a few web sites that I feel are a good source for answers to questions many of us have.

Medical Advice:

http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/

Consumer Advice:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

Do not take advice from:

Yahoo Answers
Wiki Answers
Yelp
Topix
eHow
Ask.com

These websites have answers from random people that post their opinions. They aren’t qualified to give advice and in many cases don’t know what they are talking about. They use SEO and other tactics to get their blogs foremost in the search lists. Many of them are making a lot of money and that is why they continue to do it.

If, however, on the rare occasion they give a reputable website you might believe what they write but don’t expect too much from them.

The Hollies- Listen to Me: