Posted by Mitch on November 1, 2001, at 9:36:23
In reply to Re: Is everyone really so careful all the time?, posted by Dr. Bob on October 31, 2001, at 23:34:40
> Hi, everyone,
>
> Thanks for all your responses -- and positive feedback!
>
> But is everyone really so careful all the time? If so, are concerns about the quality of information online exaggerated? Do we not need to worry about unreliable information because it'll just be ignored?
>
I think people *believe* the information they are offering to be relatively accurate(an "opinion" if you will). A doctor you visit personally is going to give an "opinion" based on the clinical evidence you present balanced against a set of statistical generalizations+clinical experience and propose a treatment. I don't think online information and support is the same as *treatment*. Given that it is not really "treatment", I think that there is a lot of unwarranted concern about online info being harmful in some way. I think people are going to be as "careful" as they can be most of the time. "Unreliable" information is also just that-information. I am not paying anyone to give me bad information.> I realize another issue is that people here might not be a representative sample of all people online...
>
> BobI wonder what the ratio of readers to posters actually is??
poster:Mitch
thread:82639
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/82866.html