Real or Not

Select one of the websites and determine if it is a reliable website or a hoax (something intended to trick or deceive).  Leave a detailed comment explaining why you think it is a real website or why you think it is a hoax. Use the questions at the bottom to help you decide. Answer, at a minimum, one question from each area.

Google Technology
Google Translate for Animals
Buy an Ancestor Online
Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Boilerplate
Very Exciting Fredericton
Cat Reactions to Bearded Men

Authority

1. Who is responsible for the site?


2. Is this site published by a person, an organization or a company?


3. What are their credentials?


4. Do they have any Expertise or experience on the topic?


5. Is the information they provide likely to be reliable and trustworthy?

Currency

1. How current is the site?


2. Are there broken links?


3. Is the information outdated?


4. Is this information which needs to be constantly updated?

Content/Purpose

1. Why does this site exist?


2. What sort of information can I get from this site?


3. Is the site designed to inform or entertain?


4. Is this site trying to sell me something?

Audience

1. Who is this site aimed at?


2. Is the site easy to read?


3. Does the overall design “look and feel” meet the needs of the audience?

Structure/Workability

1. How easy is the site to use?


2. How easy is to find the information I need?


3. Do the pages load quickly?


4. Could I use this site if I had a disability? (visually impaired: it can be read aloud or enlarged)


5. Would I come back to this site in the future?