Tom Lambrecht, Nederland.   For those who have followed this series about the incredible utility of the Internet in researching, this installment may be a bit of a downer. And for many of you, much of what follows represents a fundamental truth you have already learned (please bear with me).

Those who are new to computers and the Web frequently regard what they see there as akin to TV network news, especially if they are looking at an attractive, professionally-designed website. Whether you’re looking at colleges for your teen, shopping for a new car, or trying to decide on the correct Presidential candidate, a primary goal is to establish the credibility of the information you encounter while surfing the Web..

As pointed out in the last column, the Internet is no longer populated exclusively by guys in lab coats with pocket protectors. Not only is more of its content produced by “folks like us,” but more of it (media content, advertising, and outright propaganda) specifically targets folks like us. Exceedingly few restrictions are placed on what can be uploaded to the Web. As a result, much of what passes for fact is not, no matter how polished the website you are viewing it on.

Cranks, weirdos, hucksters, snake-oil salesman, and, of course, politicians abound on the Internet. Thus you would expect that much of the content you see might be stretching the truth and you would be correct. If you’re new to surfing the Web, I can’t emphasize this enough: The Internet is awash in opinions, half-truths, and outright lies as well as heavily-edited and Photoshopped images and videos.

Just as you would not judge a book by its cover, don’t confuse a flashy website with credibility. And realize that even reputable web sites are overrun with “clickbait,” provocative links that exist solely to take you to websites containing recycled or questionable content. These sites serve to generate ad revenue, push an agenda or worse.

Apart from the annoyance and wasted time, there is the chance that some dubious sites will download persistent toolbars or nasty viruses to your computer.

“Revelations” about celebrities like Kim Kardashian are a favorite bait for these links, but stodgy Warren Buffett predicting economic collapse is not far behind. “Fifteen of the most mind-blowing photos from (fill in the blank),” “Shocking News about (fill in the blank)” … you get the idea.

Some hints to help in avoiding these sites: one will usually see spacing or some delineation between the news story you were reading and the clickbait which will be on the bottom or the side margin of the page. A caption like “FROM AROUND THE WEB”; “Recommended for you”; “Promoted stories” and “If you liked this, you might also like...” is frequently followed by such links. A useful trick to see where a click might lead you is to put the mouse pointer over the clickable link and just hover there. Most browsers will display a small window that gives you the address or URL that clicking will take you to. If it is an external site, you may want to proceed with caution or not at all.

As you spend more time navigating the World Wide Web, you will become more adept at recognizing these misinformation traps.

Next Web in Ned: some tips on fact-checking.

Tom Lambrecht is a Library Assistant at the Nederland Community Library.

Come to the Annual Book Sale, this weekend: Saturday the 25th, from 10-4; and Sunday the 26th, from 12-5.