Personal computing: information on the Internet often bears a double check. (determining accuracy and reliability)(Technology)

Did you know that twa flight 800, the commercial airliner that tragically crashed last summer off Long Island, was accidentally shot down by a U.S Navy missile?

Ok, this was just a rumor that was circulating on the Internet last year. But some people believed it, including Pierre Salinger, former ABC News correspondent and onetime press secretary to John F. Kennedy. Salinger embarrassed himself by announcing to the world that at he had "indisputable" proof, only to have his proof quickly debunked.

The fact is, the Internet is chock full of rumors, gossip, hoaxes, exaggerations, falsehoods, ruses, end seams Though the Net can reveal useful, factual information that you'd be herd-pressed to find elsewhere, it can also appear to be an electronic tabloid.

"Information on the Net has an aura of credibility that it may not warrant," says Joyce Flory, Ph.D., a Chicago-based co-author of five books about the Internet.

Can you ever trust the Internet? Sure you can. You just need to apply critical thinking in evaluating the information and advice you come across. Here's a six-step approach:

1. Just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, don't judge a Web site by its appearance. Sure, if a Web site looks professional rather than slopped together. chances are greater that the information within it will be accurate and reliable. But looks can and do deceive. A flashy site can merely be a marketing front for quack health remedies or an illegal pyramid scheme.

2. Try to find out who's behind the information. If you're looking at a Web site, check if the author or creator is identified See if there are links to a page listing professional credentials or affiliations. Be very skeptical if no authorship information is provided.