Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Writing Task 2: Information in the age of the Internet





The graphic above gives some idea of just how fast data is accumulating on computer networks. Because it is now so pervasive, the Internet and how we interact with it via social media, information searches etc. will often appear in exam questions. Here are two relevant articles:

1. How trustworthy are the qualitative and quantitative data we find when performing searches? How can we separate the wheat from the chaff (distinguish between what is useful and what is worthless)? Here are some warnings and tips from an online encyclopaedia.

2. And what of information overload, or "infobesity"? The volume of data on the Internet doubles every 18 months. Is there simply too much out there now? Wouldn't it be better just to go back to the warmth of our favourite library and sit down with a well-thumbed copy of an encyclopedia written and edited by experts? See what this journalist at The Economist makes of the data smog.


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