Research Help (Big 6)  » Avoiding Fake Web Sites

Avoiding Fake Web Sites

Instructions

Use these strategies to help make sure that the
Web sites you use are legitimate rather than a hoax (bogus).

Check your skills using the test at the bottom.

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.	8. Watch for total nonsense
Test your knowlege with these sites

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

Return to top

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

Return to top

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

Return to top

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

Return to top

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

Return to top

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

Return to top

8. 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 cite

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

Return to top

Fake Website test

Your task is to figure out if the site is legitimate or a hoax.

Use this form: Fake Website evaluation
Choose one of the following Web sites to evaluate:

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division	Fun phones
McWhortle Enterprises	Ova Prima Foundation
Hemp nuts	Worm Man's Worm Farm
California's Velcro crop	Feline reactions to bearded men

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/>.

Return to top

Created by C. Jackson & J. Kallas