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The Reliability of Digital Sources

The reliability of digital sources is definitely an interesting topic. Although Errol Morris discusses analog photographs in the first article, he brings up a point that is completely relevant to digital sources as well. When information is debatable due to lack of background information, it’s difficult to find an unbiased source, let alone an accurate one. The other issue brought up by this article, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is that regardless of sources, the true answer is practically impossible to know because there aren’t enough facts to determine it.

I think that this subject is interesting because it causes me to question the study of history in general. How do we know that the events recorded in the books we study really happened the way they are described? Are the primary sources really as reliable as we think they are? Or could they be fabricated as so many believe Fenton’s “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” is?

I also found this particular statement from Morris’ article on the Fenton photos to be particularly striking: “War is such a peculiar thing – inaugurated by the whims of few, affecting the fate of many.” I couldn’t agree more with this statement, and I feel that its reality has been echoed in various wars throughout history.

I thought that the video on the Wikipedia page somewhat echoed the idea of being cautious when it comes to digital sources, simply because they can so easily be edited. These sources can often be accurate, but can just as often be incorrect. This issue has especially become more prominent because access to the internet has become cheaper and more readily available over time.

Overall, I think the most important idea in each of these sources is that digital sources should always be questioned. In this day and age, it is extremely easy to post a biased article, or to alter an image with Photoshop. When researching a topic, it’s best to air on the side of caution and look into the source more before basing your own work off of it.

~ by kasibumgarner on September 17, 2012 .



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