Many people fail to properly evaluate Internet information. This is often due to a lack of understanding of the issues surrounding evaluation and authority, and, more specifically, a lack of understanding of the structure and modi operandi of the Internet and the Domain Name System. The fact that evaluation is not being properly performed on Internet information means both that questionable information is being used recklessly, without adequately assessing its authority, and good information is being disregarded, because trust in the information is lacking. Both scenarios may be resolved by ascribing proper amounts of cognitive authority to Internet information. Traditional measures of authority present in a print environment are lacking on the Internet, and, even when occasionally present, are of questionable veracity. A formal model and evaluative criteria are herein suggested and explained to provide a means for accurately ascribing cognitive authority in a networked environment; the model is unique in its representation of overt and covert affiliations as a mechanism for ascribing proper authority to Internet information. Cognitive Authority and the InternetMany authors have stated that the evaluation of Internet information is similar to the evaluation of print materials, and that many of the same evaluative criteria apply in both media (
This paper discusses the importance of ascribing cognitive authority to Internet information, provides basic evaluative criteria for ascribing authority, and describes technical tools for investigating authorship and conducting more advanced research. The proffered tools offer ways to investigate authorship and identity and can significantly contribute to the confidence with which a researcher can ascribe authority. Analyses of the output from technical tools directly reveal how these tools may be used to draw conclusions regarding authorship and identity. An overview of public-key infrastructure (PKI) is provided as a possible solution to the problem of determining identity in a networked environment.
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