Elon University

Challenges for Web Information Providers

What is the meaning of all this “information” transmitted so feverishly? What are the considerations for making sense of it and improving information quality? While there certainly has been an explosion of activity, traffic, servers, and data or “stuff” presented on the Web, an explosion of information leading to knowledge and wisdom, to significance, is still in its nascent stages. In an increasingly thin soup of redundant, poor quality, or incorrect information, even the smartest Web spiders won’t be very effective. A flood of information unfiltered by the critical and noise-reducing influences of collaboration and peer review can overwhelm users and obscure the value of the Web itself. The Web certainly needs solutions in information discovery and retrieval … These information-shaping abilities cannot be based on machine intelligence alone. Human wisdom, judgment, and aesthetics must play a part in improving the quality of Web information.