Urban Legends on the Web Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

urban Legends on the WebUrban inventions ar fascinating to almost every one, and it would follow that there would be many web settles for sale for the discussion of them. A simple search turns up thousands of hits on the subject, so how do we know which ones to believe? A good research site will have detailed information explaining the confirmation or rejection of the legend. References must be cited, especially when a legend is being proven as true. In addition, the site should also be easy to navigate and convenient. In my own curiosity, I have come across two sites that argon excellent, the About.com Urban Legend Guide, and the Urban Legend Reference Page rear at www.snopes.com, which was created by the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society. In contrast, there are websites (not to relate e-mail chain letters) that perpetuate false legends, and those that in force(p) do a poor job of evaluating them. In this category is the Urban Myth Archive, an unpaid document of myths he ard in New Hampshire and Monkeyburgers, a site change with interesting legends, scarcely lacking adequate proof to back the conclusions. The About.com Urban Legend Guide, address, http//urbanlegends.about.com/culture/beliefs/urbanlegends/mbody.htm?COB=home&PM=112_100_T, is an invaluable election for researching urban legends. Upon signing into the page, the reader is given a list of topics to call for from, which always includes currently circulating hoaxes and legends as well as an archive full of information on every conceivable legend and profit hoax. Around Halloween time, of course, there are ghost stories and legends of the past that are explained and critiqued, but I found the most interesting section to be the one on e-mail hoaxes. Every individual with a... ...good research tool, but it necessarily nigh more concrete evidence. After all, how can we believe that the reservoir is correct without proof? That is as silly as believing an urban legend just because your br others girlfriends cousin told you so. In my search for urban legend sites, I found an incredible amount of information on the net, some of it high quality, professionally presented information, and the rest simply unverified. The truth is that the connection we endure as part of the World Wide Web can both work for or against us. If we choose to evaluate information carefully in the beginning we accept it, and, more importantly, before we pass it on to others, the Web is invaluable. If, however, we parcel out the information from a website and assume it is true without adequate proof, we are just perpetuating myths and untruths. This is the importance of critical reading.