Finding a Good Idea on the Web
I’ve just came across this article warning us from automatically trusting the vast amount of information available to us (mainly from Internet sources).
My first reaction was: OK, this makes sense. What else is new?
My second reaction was: How can I trust the article I am currently reading to be legitimate? For all I know, all the examples the author brings in his article may be fabricated. How can I believe someone, who just advised me not to trust anyone?
So, how can you effectively deal with "the flood of dubious information" on the Web? I believe the answer lies at the end of the article, although it is not emphasized enough: trust your instincts and common sense. If you are reading about a new idea to boost productivity, for example, think if it makes sense to you. Alternatively, try it in a closed small-scale environment.
The point is that the question of believing the information you read is not the important question. What you should ask yourself is whether the idea presented to you can really help you.
You might be reading an accurate and reliable article presenting ideas which are not applicable to your business environment. Our environments, problem domains, and constraints are so diverse that we must filter ideas and adapt them to our concrete needs. This is our great challenge. Validating each and every fact and figure presented to us is less important in most cases.
