Safe Computer and Internet Use
The internet has become an invaluable tool for doing just about everything in today's world. And while it has made many everyday tasks easier, it has introduced a whole set of other problems that one must keep in mind. The ease of posting information and the ease of access mean that it's incredibly easy for unwanted information to spread around the internet to people you don't want seeing it. It is important to keep in mind that you should never post personal information online, and that you should keep your social media accounts as private as possible to deter theft of personal information and harassment.
The internet has become an invaluable tool for doing just about everything in today's world. And while it has made many everyday tasks easier, it has introduced a whole set of other problems that one must keep in mind. The ease of posting information and the ease of access mean that it's incredibly easy for unwanted information to spread around the internet to people you don't want seeing it. It is important to keep in mind that you should never post personal information online, and that you should keep your social media accounts as private as possible to deter theft of personal information and harassment.
The ease of posting information online means has led to a large amount of unreliable information online. Historians especially must take care to choose only the most reliable sources, which means you must be extra careful to verify the quality of a website that you use. Read other articles from the website and use your best judgment. If an article looks good, but the website also published something titled "The President Is a Freemason Illuminati Reptilian from Outer Space," for example, it would behoove you to choose a different website. In general, it is safer to stick to .edu or .gov websites when looking for reliable sources. I would also recommend using the internet to search for books from reliable publishers (such as a University Press) in order to ensure the quality of your research.
It has also become much easier to plagiarize content with the increased access to information and copy and pasting. Everyone is expected to do their own work. The correct citation of sources is important not just in history, because not properly acknowledging where your information came from is theft. Citing sources will strengthen your argument if someone disagrees with you, for it provides proof that you aren't just making things up. Plagiarism is also becoming easier to detect with technology, so it would be easier and safer to do your own work.
This is a great tool for properly formatting your citations. Failing to properly cite sources is considered plagiarism, so take care to do it right.
This link from the Nation Crime Prevention Council has a good overview of how to stay safe on the internet, avoid cyber-bullying, and understanding technology.
Another tool for internet safety aimed specifically at social media websites. Make sure that nobody can see your profile if you don't want them to!
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