Thing 7

1.  Summary of two bogus websites.

http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm

When you first look at this site it just looks bogus because of the way the site is designed.  Then when you start reading the "information" on the page your initial hypothesis about it being bogus is true.  Granted the site does state at the bottom that is is bogus but let's look at a few things.  1.  There is no such thing as the Atlantic Center for Disease Control.  A simple Google search proved that.  By the way, the Centers for Disease Control no longer maintains their page on public health hoaxes.  2.  There is no University of Santa Ana.  If there was, you would think by clicking on the name you would be directed to the university's main site.  3.   There is no information about the author and no link to gather further info about the author. 4.  When deleting some of the URL the remaining part sends you to the following page:http://www.ithacalibrary.com/research/.  5.  Obviously, anyone reading the facts that are listed would know that they are untrue.  6.  There is no additional information that a person could go to via a link on the page to get more in-depth information on the so-called facts.

http://www.stephenswork.com/funkyshoes/fun.html

Any shoe aficionado would instantly know that this is a bogus site.  Who would ever order a pair of used, funky smelling shoes from here?  Anyway, when I click on the place my order tab I noticed that there was no https to indicate that the site was secure.    I also called the 1-800 number and was told that the program has ended by a recorder.  And I also noticed that there weren't any pictures of the "funky shoes" that you could purchase.   The psychic readings they offer is just icing on the cake to this false website.


2.  Activities to help other learn about cyber bullying, personal information on the web, acceptable use of the internet and/or Netiquette.

 Since I teach primarily 10th and 11th graders( think invincible ) one of the activities I would like to do with them would be for my students to take the Netiquette quiz.  After taking the quiz I would have them work in groups to discuss what they already knew and what they didn't know about etiquette on the internet.

The other activity I would is to have them create their own brochure on cyber bullying and its effects, what they shouldn't share with other via the web and how to protect their personal information.   The hope is that they would draw most of their information from personal experiences as well as researching information via the internet, books, parents, network administrators, web masters and teachers.  Some sites that I really liked and would refer them to for background information are the following:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/brochures.aspx
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
http://www.netsmartz411.org/