Opinion | Editorials
Internet is not all that meets the eye
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
- Gulf News
- Published: 01:04 February 9, 2008
Despite the worldwide web being well over 20 years old - or 30, depending on which system of management you deem as being the initiator of the format - and despite frequent reminders from reputable sources for caution when viewing a website, there are still people who get caught out by spurious sites and claims.
When the internet became available to a wider audience, it was predicted it would spell the death of newspapers as the public would use the web to get news through interaction with other members of society.
Although newspapers, particularly in the US, have found the going tougher, with circulation and advertising rates falling, it has not spelt the death-knell predicted.
It is probably because for genuine news and information, most people still prefer to access sites of reputable news gathering organisations in the knowledge the traditional ways of gathering information - at least three independent sources - still exist.
The alternative is to rely on "news" or "gossip" from any source on the internet, without questioning its accuracy or credibility. This not only applies to websites, but also unsolicited emails which, for some reason, have a tendency to be believed just because they are addressed to the recipient.
With the technology now available, it is comparatively easy to create a false website that looks identical to the original. For example, some countries have specialised in making copies of international banks' websites to fool the viewer into disclosing confidential information.
Knowing this, it is timely and appropriate that the UAE government has issued a warning to the public to be careful and ensure any information sought or given on a website is a genuine website of the government department or company they believe they are connected to. It is too late to be wise after the event.
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