In our analysis and reading of Caulfield & WIneburg’s Verified, we learned how to conduct certain tests and analyses to determine if a website is credible and if it is to be trusted. The most interesting thing to me in the reading was in chapter one: the idea that instead of going on these philosophical mind adventures, just look it up. It’s that simple. Instead of trying to figure out if Keanu Reeves really likes snowboarding, just go to Google and look up his name. If you see a bunch of articles about John Wick, great! He lives. However, if you see multiple news sources reporting of his death, then you know you don’t have to think too hard about it. I thought that was a really great concept and one that is foundational to this book.
Another concept that Caulfield and Wineburg emphasize is the vetting of every website and source you get information. Whether it is a Reddit post, a news site, or a Twitter thread, every piece of information you see on the Internet needs to be researched in some way if you are to rely on it. They mention the three contexts: the context of the source, the claim, and you. I found thinking about these contexts really interesting, especially when we put them into practice in class. Being able to think about the contexts and put the SIFT tool into practice was really helpful in taking these concepts from the abstract (being in a book) and making them feel more real. For me, practicing these concepts and thinking about them in reference to a real source/story was super helpful in completely understanding them.
Other than SIFT, another kind of test that is mentioned in the book is the CRAAP test, one that can used to determine the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of a website. While we weren’t able to do this one in class, I did this a couple of times on my own and found it a really cool and effective test to use to find out if a source is good or not.
The ultimate sentiment of these chapters (and of the book as a whole) is that rather than going on these crazy thought experiments or just believing everything you see, simply taking the time and effort to do a little bit of research goes a long way. I think the second part of the title of the book encapsulates this perfectly: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What to Believe Online.
Comments
2 responses to “How to Be a Better Internet User with Verified”
I think since most of us probably have never heard of SIFT using it in class and practicing with it was really helpful as you have said to understand what the book is trying to teach us. I genuinely forgot that chapter one mentioned other methods, so I’m curious about how you went through the CRAAP method, did you find it to be better than SIFT?
Since most everyone else talked about it, I am also curious about what your thoughts were about chapter two. It goes into all those signals we need to notice or avoid, and I know many of us were big on the .com versus .org myth. Did you also find your mind blown by this info?
Using the SIFT tool in class helped me to contextualize how to actually use each of the steps in ways that mattered. I only tried the CRAAP method once on my own, but I still found it useful.
I fully agree with your assertion that instead of jumping through hoops or believing everything that flies in our faces, five minutes of research into a claim can be way more beneficial. Practicing SIFT real time during this election cycle has proven so important. We live in a time of fragmented quotations and false claims permeating our own ideas and values. Thinking straight and getting duped less have never been more important traits than right now.