Comments on: Beyond Broadcast http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/12/beyond-broadcast/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sat, 26 May 2012 21:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Christopher Ball http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/12/beyond-broadcast/comment-page-1/#comment-155432 Christopher Ball Fri, 12 May 2006 14:32:11 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4653#comment-155432 Prof. Boyle asserted that encyclopedias are not used much but that people get their data from Google on the internet, and implies that it is just as accurate. But how do we know that? <i>Nature</i> found that <i>Encyclopaedia Britannica</i>'s <em>website</em> had a third fewer errors than Wikipedia, but there were some problems with the methodology (acccuracy was decided by unverified expert claims, not other documentation). Do we really believe that the search engines on the internet yield as accurate results as encyclopedias? Does Boyle? If a student submitted an essay based not on citations from printed books and law journals but on internet sites found by search engines, would he accept it as he would one that did rely on printed material? Prof. Boyle asserted that encyclopedias are not used much but that people get their data from Google on the internet, and implies that it is just as accurate. But how do we know that? Nature found that Encyclopaedia Britannica’s website had a third fewer errors than Wikipedia, but there were some problems with the methodology (acccuracy was decided by unverified expert claims, not other documentation).

Do we really believe that the search engines on the internet yield as accurate results as encyclopedias? Does Boyle? If a student submitted an essay based not on citations from printed books and law journals but on internet sites found by search engines, would he accept it as he would one that did rely on printed material?

]]> By: Ascription is an Anathema to any Enthusiasm » Blog Archive » Emigrants Who Refuse to be Assimilated http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/12/beyond-broadcast/comment-page-1/#comment-155431 Ascription is an Anathema to any Enthusiasm » Blog Archive » Emigrants Who Refuse to be Assimilated Fri, 12 May 2006 14:30:34 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4653#comment-155431 [...] But really! I am rolling on the floor laughing to see what the lawyers at the Berkman center did when they got off the boat on the shores of the new virtual world! [...] [...] But really! I am rolling on the floor laughing to see what the lawyers at the Berkman center did when they got off the boat on the shores of the new virtual world! [...]

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