Although my class assignment was to write a review of one of the two websites I evaluated, I decided to write an additional brief blog on the second of my two websites as well. Although the NEA site (see previous post) provided me with enough information to write the required-length essay, this Virtual Environments website brought something to my attention that I wanted to share.
The Virtual Environments website (http://www.virtualenvironments.info) appears to be a fairly comprehensive resource of information and comparisons of virtual environments - the interaction of people through a computer-based simulated environment. It includes summaries of articles on the topic. It appears to be a helpful and informative website for teachers and others who wish to learn more about virtual environments.
HOWEVER ~
One of the most important aspects to evaluating a website is the issue of validity and reliability. Although the information found here appears to be accurate, there is a major issue with finding the source of the information in this site. There is an email address to contact the organization, but it's self-referential. There is no other name provided, and even a "whois" search turns up the name of a company hired to be a third-party intermediary who makes it possible for people and organizations to acquire webspace anonymously.
It is quite possible that this site is totally legitimate, and the information there may be quite accurate and useful. And I was rather impressed with the information I found there... HOWEVER ~ I cannot recommend the site, nor fully trust it, as there is no information to validate this group as a reliable source of information.
It's an interesting dilemma for our current web-based information society. As they say, "Consider the source!"
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