The question of data integrity is one we haven’t really addressed in class. Now that we can all post and widely distribute anything, what happens to the presumed integrity of information? Does all information become subject to suspicion? Can verification procedures or the “status” of a source ultimately preclude the need to authenticate information?
I noticed Kate’s post on two differing sets of numbers on mortgage foreclosures in Cleveland, and her query as to who to believe or how to authenticate the information. Surprisingly, her information came from the courts, and they have different answers to the same question.
Also, if we can all post anything, anytime, will information become so pervasive and ubiquitous as to be of no use to anyone? If there is just too much to make sense of, what sense does it all make?
If information is not only questionable as to its accuracy and continues to overload us from so many different sources, could this create the end of information as a useful commodity? Could all this information become meaningless? Another “dark ages” in the making
