2.2. Key advice about Internet travel planning and research
by Edward Hasbrouck
- Don’t believe anything just because you read it on the Internet. Anyone can say anything on the Internet — and they do.
The Internet is the most effective medium in history for the rapid global propagation of rumor, myth, and false information.
- Watch out for advertisements disguised as impartial reviews or ratings. Many
“recommendations” on Web sites, newsgroups, and bulletin boards are really
paid ads, or written by people with a hidden financial interest in whatever they
are recommending. If you can’t tell, assume it’s an ad.
- Think about who is giving you advice and what their knowledge is based on.
Don’t confuse form with substance as a guide to reliability. The best looking sites
aren’t necessarily the most accurate or the most useful.
- Evaluate advice by its relevance to your tastes. People are different. That’s one
of the joys of the Internet: there’s something for everyone, and you don’t have to
rely on “one size fits all” advice.
- Look to the Internet especially for finding specialized, detailed, time sensitive,
and international travel information.
- Don’t limit your Internet travel research to travel sites on the World Wide Web.
Some of the most useful online travel resources aren’t on the Web, or are on
Web sites that aren’t specifically for travellers. You can get lots of useful travel
information through e-mail, or by using the Internet to locate offline resources.
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"Don't believe anything just because you read it on the Internet. Anyone can say anything on the Internet, and they do.
The Internet is the most effective medium in history for the rapid global propagation of rumor, myth, and false information."
(From The Practical Nomad Guide to the Online Travel Marketplace, 2001)
This page published or republished here 1 January 2001; most recently modified 18 October 2020. Copyright © 1991-2024 Edward Hasbrouck, except as noted.
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