Google alerts often bring me some amusement but some concern also.
Usually several identical articles will pop up posted on a variety of unlikely websites, and are often gobbledegook.
OK, Wiki proved by far the better commercial model than Encarta though one suspects that Encarta had a more sound approach when purveying information and who knows what has happened to DMOZ but there are a number of imitation "knowledge" sites out there which appear to have even less editorial and quality control. Pretty well anything seems to get posted and pass muster.
One thing is clear, these are not peer reviewed articles and are often flawed.
Here is an example Google alerts brought me for flow meters.
Author: Tina L Jones
Author: Fabian Tan (this is the sort of nom de guerre pornstars like).
Fabina Tan has been busy, he also posted here:
Variations appear such as:
Never mind the broken English, which in some of the variations does appear to be addressed, one suspects these people grab a text book, or more likely an article on another web site, and rehash it as their own without properly understanding what they have found. They perpetuate errors and misconceptions. What they reveal is a lack of understanding of the subject matter. A bit like some low attendance record student essay which has found its way onto the internet.
How widespread is this?
The questions to ask are
"why do they bother?" (just for interest)
"What benefit does this sort of junk posting bring?"
"What harm can they do?"
I've found other examples on websites authored by "industry professionals" that have concerned me.
One, for example, was a young marine engineer posting about fuel oil viscosity.
The article was wrong in several small areas and about 12 years out of date on the technology.
What it didn't do was provide the sort of clear description that would help anyone, the contrary, it would likely confuse or at best not actually benefit anyone.
In this case I don't see the harm it would have done, others might.
As it happens, the author of the article cited his reference as a publication from 1991.
One is lead to suppose that this young qualified engineer actually has no first hand experience of engineering aboard a vessel and has simply created his article from what he read in this text book, 19 years out of date.
That was his sole reference.
In 19 years a great deal has changed in the marine industry with engines, ships, fuels instrumentation, and so on. Yet here is someone posting supposedly authoritative articles.
The final, and most important question is what should one do when encountering such published articles?
If they are simply seemingly innocuous student essay type howlers, if they appear on supposed Wiki Look alike sites, on general blogs or in professional industry forums?
This is where it gets troubling. This is a qualified industry professional on an industry website, "informing others".
JMW
Usually several identical articles will pop up posted on a variety of unlikely websites, and are often gobbledegook.
OK, Wiki proved by far the better commercial model than Encarta though one suspects that Encarta had a more sound approach when purveying information and who knows what has happened to DMOZ but there are a number of imitation "knowledge" sites out there which appear to have even less editorial and quality control. Pretty well anything seems to get posted and pass muster.
One thing is clear, these are not peer reviewed articles and are often flawed.
Here is an example Google alerts brought me for flow meters.
Author: Tina L Jones
Author: Fabian Tan (this is the sort of nom de guerre pornstars like).
Fabina Tan has been busy, he also posted here:
Variations appear such as:
Never mind the broken English, which in some of the variations does appear to be addressed, one suspects these people grab a text book, or more likely an article on another web site, and rehash it as their own without properly understanding what they have found. They perpetuate errors and misconceptions. What they reveal is a lack of understanding of the subject matter. A bit like some low attendance record student essay which has found its way onto the internet.
How widespread is this?
The questions to ask are
"why do they bother?" (just for interest)
"What benefit does this sort of junk posting bring?"
"What harm can they do?"
I've found other examples on websites authored by "industry professionals" that have concerned me.
One, for example, was a young marine engineer posting about fuel oil viscosity.
The article was wrong in several small areas and about 12 years out of date on the technology.
What it didn't do was provide the sort of clear description that would help anyone, the contrary, it would likely confuse or at best not actually benefit anyone.
In this case I don't see the harm it would have done, others might.
As it happens, the author of the article cited his reference as a publication from 1991.
One is lead to suppose that this young qualified engineer actually has no first hand experience of engineering aboard a vessel and has simply created his article from what he read in this text book, 19 years out of date.
That was his sole reference.
In 19 years a great deal has changed in the marine industry with engines, ships, fuels instrumentation, and so on. Yet here is someone posting supposedly authoritative articles.
The final, and most important question is what should one do when encountering such published articles?
If they are simply seemingly innocuous student essay type howlers, if they appear on supposed Wiki Look alike sites, on general blogs or in professional industry forums?
This is where it gets troubling. This is a qualified industry professional on an industry website, "informing others".
JMW
