Avoiding Fake Web Sites

Use these strategies to help make sure that the

Web sites you use are legitimate rather than bogus.

1. Watch for statements that go against common sense.	5. Look for irony or satire in the text.
2. Check for words that are made up or nonsensical.	6. Look for exaggeration in the text.
3. Look at pictures to see whether or not they make sense.	7. Watch for sites that look official, but are not.
4. Watch for images that look like they've been altered.

1. Watch for statements that go against common sense.

Example: When was the last time you saw whales in Lake Michigan?

Whale Watching in Lake Michigan

Look at this URL: http://www.geocities.com/lakemichiganwhales/                    (works cited)

Example: Is it really possible for a man to have a baby?

Look at this URL: http://www.malepregnancy.com/                    (works cited)

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2. Check for words that are made up or nonsensical.

Example: The doctor's name is a take-off on "what a lying fool."

  Look at this URL: http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm                    (works cited)

Example: Fredericpudlians is nonsensical as a name for people of the town.

 Look at this URL: http://descy.50megs.com/descy/webcred/webcred/Fredericton.html                    (works cited) Return to top

3. Look at pictures to see whether or not they make sense.

Example: Were there robots in the 1890's?

Look at this URL: http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/                    (works cited)

Example: PFHT (pet foil hat technology) cannot protect pets from brain scan waves.

Look at this URL: http://sask.sasktelwebsite.net/petfoilhat.html                    (works cited)

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4. Watch for images that look like they've been altered.

Example: Where have you been on your travels?

   Look at this URL: http://publish.uwo.ca/~floyd/false/false.htm                    (works cited)

Example: What do you know about the jackalope?

  Look at this URL: http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm                    (works cited)

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5. Look for irony or satire in the text.

Example: Does your local zoo get land due to people dying?

Look at this URL: http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Sellafield_Zoo/                     (works cited)

Example: How about signing up for a famous ancestor?

Would you like to go online
to buy an ancestor?

Impress your boss
with your famous relatives!

Abe Lincoln                   $5.00

George Washington       $1.00

Look at this URL: http://www.fulkerson.org/ancestors/buyanancestor.html                    (works cited)

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6. Look for exaggeration in the text.

Example: Watch out for the man-eating cicadas!

Look at this URL: http://cicadaville.com/                        (works cited)

Example: Have you ever experimented with Strawberry Pop Tarts (SPT)?

Look at this URL: http://www.pmichaud.com/toast/                         (works cited)

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7. Watch for sites that look official, but are not.

Example: Where is the Republic of Cascadia?

Look at this URL: http://zapatopi.net/bsa/                    (works cited)

Example: Have you ever seen a tree octopus?

Look at this URL: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/                    (works cited)

Example: How would you like to design your own child?

  Look at this URL:http://www.genochoice.com/                    (works cited)

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7. Watch for total nonsense

Example: Can shoes make you a better person?

  Look at this URL: http://www.stephenswork.com/funkyshoes/goodkarma.html                    (works cited)

Example: Would you like to send someone to the Lake of Death Lunar Prison?

  Look at this URL: http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbeam/moon.htm (works cited)

Example: Have you ever been to a submarine dock in Minnesota?

  Look at this URL: http://descy.50megs.com/mankato/subyard.html                    (works cited)

Example: Do you want to make sure your dog is happy?

 Look at this URL: http://www.thedogisland.com/                     (works cited)

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Works Cited

Beauchamps, Travis. “Sellafield Zoo.” JFH Web Design. 2005.   28 Nov. 2005
     <http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Sellafield_Zoo/>.

"Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs."  Republic of Cascadia. Zapato Productions Intradimentional.
     9 Sept. 2005.  29 Nov. 2005 <http://zapatopi.net/bsa/>.

Farnsworth, R. Bruce. "Mankato's Submarine Docks."  7 Nov.  2005.  28 Nov. 2005
      <http://descy.50megs.com/mankato/subyard.html>.

"Free Forever: Dog Island."  Dog Island. 2003. 29 Nov. 2005 <http://www.thedogisland.com/>.

Fulkerson, Robert. “Buy an Ancestor Online.”  Wyoming Fulkerson. 28 Nov. 2005
     <http://www.fulkerson.org/ancestors/buyanancestor.html>.

"Genochoice." Dwayne Medical Center - RYT Hospital. 2005.  29 Nov. 2005
      <http://www.genochoice.com/>.

Guinan, Paul. “Boilerplate: Mechanical Marvel of the Nineteenth Century.” 2005.   28 Nov. 2005
     <http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/>.

Henderson, John R. "True but Little Known Facts about Women and AIDS." . Ithica College Library.
     1 Apr. 2005.  28 Nov. 2005 <http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm>.

“Jackalope Conspiracy.” SUDftw.   28 Nov. 2005 <http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm>.

"Lake Michigan Whale Watching." Lake Michigan Whale Watching Society.  May 2005.
      28 Nov. 2005 <http://www.geocities.com/lakemichiganwhales/>.

“Me and my Travels by Derek.” 18 Oct. 2002.   28 Nov. 2005 <http://publish.uwo.ca/
     %7Efloyd/false/false.htm>.

Michaud, Patrick R. "Strawbery Pop-Tart Blow-Torches."  26 Aug. 1994.  29 Nov. 2005
     <http://www.pmichaud.com/toast/>.

"Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus." Zapato Productions Intradimentional. 10 Oct. 2005.
      29 Nov. 2005 <http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/>.

"Pop: The First Male Pregnancy ." RYT Hospital - Dwayne Medical Center.  28 Nov. 2005.  28 Nov.
      2005<http://www.deathpenalty.org/>.

Stuttafore, Andrew. "Moonbeam Enterprise and the Lunar Travel Agency." Dreamweaver Studios.
     1998.  29 Nov. 2005 <http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbeam/moon.htm>.

---. "Saskboy's Pet Foil Hat Technology (PFHT)." Abandonedstuff.com  2005.
      28 Nov. 2005 <http://sask.sasktelwebsite.net/petfoilhat.html>.

Tuttle, Stephen.  "Funky shoes."  2001.  29 Nov. 2005<http://www.stephenswork.com/
      funkyshoes/goodkarma.html>.

"Visit Exciting Fredericton."  28 Nov. 2005 <http://descy.50megs.com/descy/webcred/
     webcred/Fredericton.html>.

“Welcome to Cicadaville.com!” Cicadaville.com. 2004.   29 Nov. 2005 <http://cicadaville.com/>.

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       Created by C. Jackson & J. Kallas