Credibility Commons: About the Credibility Commons

Credibility Commons: About the Credibility Commons.

About the Credibility Commons
Blogged in Uncategorized by rdlankes
Monday February 27, 2006 at about 10:25 am

The credibility of Internet information is a problem. While the credibility of Information in general is an issue, the Internet presents a new set of challenges. Today the public is expected to book their own airline tickets, decide on their own retirement plan, even decide on life and death medical treatments with the tools and information on the web. With a disappearing paper trail in voting, with no one official copy of government documents, with a lack of common criteria in presenting and consuming credible information there is a great need to research and develop real tools to help the citizen. Addressing these issues now, as tools are being developed and more critical information is becoming exclusively Internet information, will prevent larger and more dire consequences in the near and long-term future.

Over the past year, the MacArthur Foundation funded the American Library Association’s Office of Information & Technology Policy and the University of Washington to investigate the issues of credibility of Internet information. The purpose of this exploration was to determine the scope of the problem, determine the existing state of knowledge in the area, and develop practical next steps in addressing issues of the credibility of Internet information. These activities included: writing a series of white papers on tools, skills and institutions; a symposium of experts in the area; tool development; and a series of follow-up meetings.

A very much-needed project.. we need links and resources to the "credible" Web sources of information, and knowledge.. be sure and visit the home page of the Credibility Commons...