Finding the Real Story Part 1

I've been mulling over the subject of education for the last 2 1/2 months now- more specific, why I chose to leave the "profession" after a year and a half and after spending over $4,000 post grad school for my certifications.  From the first day I left the classroom I have scrambled to have the right answer for those moments when I might have to undergo examination. And then there's the more important issue -- self examination. 

This blog has been started on more than one occasion and all of them telling a different story. Like a human telescope I zoomed in and out of my tale and at different points convinced myself that the plot of the story landed on X, not Y. A co-worker that turned on me, unreasonable expectations, or pressure from the new state mandate on end of the year test results. Last but not least, the self depreciating; a notion of not being good enough. My conclusion: it's all part of the same narrative and although these are analytically distinct areas I can hardly tell the story without all of the pieces.

Over the next few blogs I am going to attempt to form a linear narrative of my time as a public educator. Stay tuned.

Let's Look at the Evidence

Were you misled by the latest Facebook post circulating? You know the one that started out, "In response to the new Facebook guidelines, I hereby declare..."  If you fell victim to the latest hoax don't get too upset- the news was convincing enough for many in the FB community. The all business tone and codified language was sobering to many folks who rightly felt concerned about the ownership of their media.

But fret not my social media friends- Facebook issued a statement today that it does not own your media- your selfies are safe. Also, there doesn't appear to be any real harm done if you did in fact 'cut and paste' that staunch declaration. You should, however, consider protecting yourself from future media hacks that may compromise your privacy or financial well being. There are a few things you can do that will thrwart malicious post from attacking our virtual world. I'd like to offer a few tips I’ve learned that can help you be a bit more savvy while online.

Now, to be clear, I'm no expert when it comes to this magical World Wide Web but I can say my liberal arts background has afforded me a decent vantage point when it comes to areas like this one. Historians have to constantly evaluate the legitimacy of online sources available in order to produce a credible narrative. 

Media immersion in America has brought a significant change in how we receive news and information. What we accept or reject today will become our own narrative tomorrow. The days of getting our news and information solely from traditional sources on television or in print media are a thing of the past. Media giants are evolving in order to survive in a digital world. Enough of all that though- lets get to the rub. Get smarter about what's online.

Here are a few things I look at before I’ll read any “story/post” online.

1.The domain name on the URL. The most reliable sites/posts will end in “.edu”, “.gov”, or well established institutions such as the New York Times tends to be safe grounds.

2.  The next thing I look for is the sponsor/author of the post. Knowing who the source is coming from will give you a general idea of what's coming. These first two will help you find the agenda. Is the site selling products or does it have a stake in what we view or both?

3.  Next, be aware of one-sided sources that present a strong bias. We all have a bias or favorite whatever but blatant disregard for objectivity means the whole story isn’t being told (perhaps intentionally) and you may not have enough information to make an informed decision. Intentional omissions are usually an attempt to minimize an area that will not benefit the author.

4.  Additionally, poor grammar can be revealing of the hosts' level of professionalism. You don't have to be an expert in all elements of writing but careless punctuation errors or words capitalized that clearly shouldn't be won't be found on a professional post/website. These shortcomings should make the post suspect immediately. Proceed with a critical eye. A reputable host will not intentionally use an informal writing-style when conveying a professional message to the masses.

I can’t say what the utility was for this FB hoax but I can tell you identity thieves or hackers benefit from anyone who would dismiss standard writing elements. I was almost scammed on EBay once when I tried selling my old iPhone. The buyer sent a convincing confirmation of payment but at the bottom of the receipt I spotted a misspelled word and a comma that was out of place. I called the buyer out and he laughed about almost having me! 

If the source is unfamiliar and you think it may be useful treat it as a starting point and move on to a more credible source. Bottom line here: trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right there's probably a good reason for that uneasy feeling. And after you’ve evaluated the information and are still unsure if a post (or website) is trustworthy you can turn to sites like snope.com who are like mini gatekeepers, busting myths online. The Internet is a powerful instrument that has given masses of people a capacity to bring direct change in the world. How's that working out for you?