Web Publishers

 

The information you find on the Web is as varied as the people who put it there. With a computer and a phone connection, anyone can publish on the Web.

Libraries - That's right, libraries are major producers and purchasers of quality information on the Web. The Mundt Library has produced subject guides for DSU faculty and students and the Library of Congress puts copies of important historical photographs and documents on a site called "The American Memory Project." Most libraries will use .edu or .org domains.

Universities - Universities put entire classes online, provide the public with resources on many subjects and provide space for their faculty and students. Most educational institutions use the .edu domain. For example: the DSU homepage and a mock "travel guide" to Mankato, MN.

Government Agencies - In order to make information available to more people, federal, state and local governments are publishing many documents on the Web. For example: the Federal government portal FirstGov and the State of South Dakota's homepage. The US Government uses the .gov domain and state governments use .us and .gov domains.

Companies - Many companies publish financial documents and press releases on their sites. The Web is also a major marketing tool for many companies to provide information about their products. Keep in mind companies will usually provide only the positive information about themselves and their products. Companies use the most famous domain .com. For example: Daktronics (daktronics.com) .

Organizations - Organizations have agendas and opinions that they want you to know about. Some organizations try to educate, like the American Lung Association and others may try to trick or mislead you, like this "http://www.humancloning.org" (a pro-cloning site that has some good information, but trys to trick you into thinking the organization is affiliated with well-respected people and sources) or this hoax site on Mankato, MN.

Individuals - People from nearly every country publish pages on the Web, representing a wide variety of views and languages. Access to this variety is one of the great things about of the web, but most individuals are not providing the kind of material that can be used for academic research. For example: Dr. Toast.

 

NOTE: Module 4 will discuss evaulation web sites in more detail