This document discusses misinformation on the internet. It provides examples of how misinformation spreads, such as through false news reports and social media. While internet users have learned to be skeptical of online information, misinformation remains a problem. False information spreads similarly to accurate information, aided by "gatekeepers" with large social networks. Internet memes also allow information to take on new, sometimes false meanings as it is spread and transformed online. Verifying information online remains important to counter the spread of misinformation.

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LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY- LOS BAÑOS CAMPUS
Graduate Studies and Applied Research
EM210- Computer System Operations and Applications
Ces Joanne M. Fajarito MAEd- Math
As a Requirement in the course
EM210 (Computer System Operation and Application)
S.Y. 2016- 2017
First Semester
September 13, 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title 1
Table of Contents 2
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Discussion 6
References 25

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ABSTRACT
This paper deals on what the computer is capable of, how it helps people
and things, its significance and advantages. Because of this, readers will value
computers as these are very helpful in daily living but also, will be informed on
how to deal with it correctly since all that were used without limitation can be
harmful.

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INTRODUCTION
It is no doubt that computer is really helpful not only to humans but also
to others (like animals, industries, economy, etc.). In the world of technology,
computer is useful to done a work easily, smoothly, fast. Computer has made an
impact on society. It has change the angle of life. The use of computer technology
has affected every part of life. People are using a computer to perform a different
task easier. Computers are not only use for personal purpose that is mostly use
in the organizations. Computers were also used for recording data of their
customers. Bank is using computers for maintaining accounts and managing
financial transactions. They are providing facilities of online banking; customer
can check their account balance from using the internet. Different task are
performed automatically by using computers. Because of this, it reduce the
needs of people. The use of computer puts a world at a different height. But every
coin have a two side, in that way use of computer has some advantages and
disadvantages. Financial difficulties may make it difficult for some students to
access important coursework, while other students may use computers to play
game or chat. Students replace a paper and pen with a computer for education,
handwriting skills may suffer. Learners benefits from increased brain activities
when writing new information by hand, particularly in subjects such as math
and chemistry. Most computer programs include a spelling and grammar check,
and students might depend on the computer to correct spelling and grammatical

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errors. This happens because almost anything, or should I say “everything” can
be found already on the internet.
This paper will discuss what the use of internet is all about, how it can
cause good to users, but also, how it can be a disadvantage for users.

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DISCUSSION
What is an internet?
Figure 1. Meaning of Internet
The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world
like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and
computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The
Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for
information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction
between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location.
The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits
of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of
information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet
switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in

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evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. Today, terms like
"bleiner@computer.org" and "http://www.acm.org" trip lightly off the tongue of
the random person on the street.
This is intended to be a brief, necessarily cursory and incomplete history.
Much material currently exists about the Internet, covering history, technology,
and usage. A trip to almost any bookstore will find shelves of material written
about the Internet.
There is the technological evolution that began with early research on
packet switching and the ARPANET (and related technologies), and where
current research continues to expand the horizons of the infrastructure along
several dimensions, such as scale, performance, and higher-level functionality.
There is the operations and management aspect of a global and complex
operational infrastructure. There is the social aspect, which resulted in a broad
community of Internauts working together to create and evolve the technology.
And there is the commercialization aspect, resulting in an extremely effective
transition of research results into a broadly deployed and available information
infrastructure.
The Internet today is a widespread information infrastructure, the initial
prototype of what is often called the National (or Global or Galactic) Information
Infrastructure. Its history is complex and involves many aspects - technological,
organizational, and community. And its influence reaches not only to the
technical fields of computer communications but throughout society as we move

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toward increasing use of online tools to accomplish electronic commerce,
information acquisition, and community operations.
The Internet is so far one of the greatest inventions of all time. The Internet
has made it possible for us to do lots of things. People can shop in online stores
like eBay, communicate with family and friends via Skype or Facebook, watch
the latest videos on YouTube, blog and make money from it, and so much more.
What are the advantages of the use of Internet?
1. Unlimited Communication
The Internet has made it easy for people to communicate with others
because it is cheap and convenient. The only costs incurred are those paid to
the Internet service provider. If you want to talk to someone who is in another
part of the globe, you can just fire up Skype or any other communication app
and hold a video chat.
Services such as Skype have helped people from geographically segmented
countries to interact and share ideas. As such, people are able to share their
thoughts and views on matters affecting the globe. The Internet acts as common
global platform where people explore ideologies and cultures without limitation.

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Figure 2. Unlimited Communications
2. Abundant Information and Resources
The Internet is swamped with information about anything and everything.
There are multiple search engines that have made it easier for Internet users to
find information. For example, it is now common for people to look for free advice
from the Internet on all sorts of issues. The premise here is that whatever
problem you are experiencing, someone somewhere has experienced it and
probably solved it.
You can also get the latest news, breakthroughs in all fields including
medicine and even research publications at the click of a button. The Internet is

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basically a globally accessible repository of knowledge, and the best part is
everyone gets to chip in.
Figure 3. Information Resources
3. Easy Sharing
Thanks to the Internet, sharing information is fast and seamless. If you
want to tell your 30 friends about your latest promotion, you can do so in an
instant. You can use social media sites such as Facebook or an IM app. They
will all get the news at the same time. You can also share music, videos and any
other file.

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Figure 4. Easy Sharing
4. Online Services and E-commerce
Today it is possible to carry out financial transactions online. You can
transfer funds, pay taxes and utility bills or book movie tickets over the Internet
in the comfort of your office or home.
The growth of e-commerce has made it possible for people to shop for most
things online. This has seen the emergence of retail giants such as Amazon, Ebay
and Alibaba. They sell consumer goods globally. Such a feat was virtually
impossible before the Internet.

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Figure 5. Online Service
5. Entertainment
This is one of the major reasons why many people enjoy surfing the
Internet – entertainment. You can watch movies, listen to music, read your
favorite celebrity gossip columns and play games over the Internet. The Internet
has become a mammoth amusement park that never closes.

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Figure 6. Entertainment
What are the disadvantages of the use of Internet?
1. Spam Mail
Spamming is the sending of unwanted and useless emails to random
people. These emails obstruct the recipient needlessly. They are illegal and can
cause frustration because they make it hard for people to access their email
accounts. Bots are used to bombard your inbox with endless advertisements.
This is quite perplexing as it always gets mixed up with important emails.
Luckily, most email service providers have a security system in place to prevent
spam emails from going to your inbox. All emails that are deemed suspicious get
their email ID or IP address blocked or sent to the Spam folder.

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Figure 7. Spamming
2. Virus, Trojan & Other Malware
These are malicious programs that plague the Internet time and again.
They attack a computer with the sole intent of causing harm. They can make the
computer malfunction or even this can be very costly especially if you lose
important data. Worse yet is the fact that you can easily fall victim to malicious
software by clicking on a link on the Internet that appears genuine. Internet
viruses can be categorized to three types - those that harm your executable boot
files and system, those that affect a specific file by destroying it and those that
keep changing things in your computer like Word files. You can protect yourself

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by installing a reliable anti-virus program on your computer before accessing the
Internet.
Figure 8. Viruses that are harmful to computers
3. Leakage of Private Information
The fact that the Internet has become a market place has also seen a rise
in fraud cases. Credit/debit card details are particularly vulnerable. This calls
for extreme caution when transacting online. Make sure to use a reliable
payment processor instead of sending your details directly to an individual or
business.

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Figure 9. Absence of Privacy
10. Addiction to Internet
Just like everything else, people also get addicted to the Internet. This may
sound bizarre, but some people spend more than their fair amount of time on
the Internet. This affects their social interactions a great deal. Internet addiction
has been known to be a major cause of obesity and has, in some cases, led to
some diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome. With some help, people addicted to
the Internet can overcome this challenge.

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Figure 10. Internet Addiction
5. Kids Exposed to Adults-Only Content
The fact that Internet has all information you could ever need is both a
good thing and a bad things. This is because it contains age-inappropriate
content like pornography. Unfortunately, such content can be accessed by
children as young as ten. All guardians and parents can do about it is lock out
harmful sites to keep their children safe. Nevertheless, this is not a full proof
strategy as children can still access the Internet from other devices.

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Summary on Advantages and Disadvantages ofInternet:
Advantages:
1) Information on almost every subject imaginable.
2) Powerful search engines
3) Ability to do research from your home versus research libraries.
4) Information at various levels of study. Everything from scholarly articles to
ones directed at children.
5) Message boards where people can discuss ideas on any topic. Ability to get
wide range of opinions. People can find others that have a similar interest in
whatever they are interested in.
6) The internet provides the ability of emails. Free mail service to anyone in the
country.
7) Platform for products like SKYPE, which allow for holding a video conference
with anyone in the world who also has access.
8) Friendships and love connections have been made over the internet by people
involved in love/passion over similar interests.
9) Things such as Yahoo Answers and other sites where kids can have readily
available help for homework.
10) News, of all kinds is available almost instantaneously. Commentary, on that
news, from every conceivable viewpoint is also available.

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Disadvantages:
1) There is a lot of wrong information on the internet. Anyone can post anything,
and much of it is garbage.
2) There are predators that hang out on the internet waiting to get unsuspecting
people in dangerous situations.
3) Some people are getting addicted to the internet and thus causing problems
with their interactions of friends and loved ones.
4) Pornography that can get in the hands of young children too easily.
5) Easy to waste a lot of time on the internet. You can start surfing, and then
realize far more time has passed than you realized. Internet and television
together of added to the more sedentary lifestyles of people which further
exacerbates the obesity problem.
6) Internet has a lot of "cheater" sites. People can buy essays and pass them off
as their own far more easily than they used to be able to do.
7) There are a lot of unscrupulous businesses that have sprung up on the
internet to take advantage of people.
8) Hackers can create viruses that can get into your personal computer and ruin
valuable data.
9) Hackers can use the internet for identity theft.
10) It can be quite depressing to be on the internet and realize just how
uneducated so many people have become in today's society.

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Since there are so many information on the internet and some of it can be
edited by whoever wants to modify it, there is an instance to have wrong
information. Gathered wrong data is called as misinformation.
What is misinformation?
It is a false or inaccurate information especially that which is deliberately
intended to deceive.
How Misinformation spreads on the Internet?
1. False information and the news
Within a number of professions – journalism being an obvious one – the
spread and potential for reporting misinformation is a genuine concern. Being
first to report breaking news has long been a key value for traditional media
outlets, though this may no longer hold the appeal it once had. Some news
organisations are instead placing higher value on being right even if that means
not being first in reporting a story. This is probably a result of various high profile
mistakes made recently using social media information.
Near to the anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, it is worth
remembering that information posted on Reddit led to the New York Post printing
images of two suspects on its front page, who ultimately had nothing to do with
the bombings. Also, following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight
MH370 in March, NBC news highlighted various false reports spreading on social
media which alleged that the plane had made a safe landing.

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Time-consuming verification practices make it near impossible for
newsrooms to compete with the speed of social media; online verification is
increasingly important if this allows the reporting of factually correct online
information. Trust in the source of information understandably continues to be
one of the most, if not the most, important asset a news organisation has.
2. Are internet users concerned?
While the WEF data showed the rapid spread of false information as a
key trend for 2014, the 2013 Oxford Internet Survey (Pdf) found that trust in
the reliability of online information among British internet users has changed
very little in the past 10 years. More than that, and this is especially important
in relation to false information and the news, users identify the internet as the

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most reliable source of information over television and radio (with a score of 3.6
on average, where 1 is unreliable and 5 is totally reliable).
The authors note: This stability suggests that users have learnt to what
extent they can trust information online. In this light, we can see that people
have a learned level of scepticism about information that can be found online,
which is contrary to many expectations of people being unduly influenced by
misinformation distributed online.
But even if internet users are not terribly concerned about false information, it
remains an issue.
3. How does information spread?
False information spreads just like accurate information. Important work
is being developed on the spread and circulation of online information,
specifically academic and industry studies on virality. This seeks to better
understand the circumstances under which information has or may spread.
What is clear is that it is difficult to isolate specific patterns, users or types of
content that may result in the spreading of information online.
But some patterns do emerge. In their analysis, Karine Nahon and Jeff
Hemsley found that the role of "gatekeepers" is central to whether something
goes viral or not. These gatekeepers – people who are well placed within a

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network to share information with others – are often old-fashioned journalists or
people "in the know". Nahon and Hemsley provide the famous example of Keith
Urbahn, chief of staff for former US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. His
tweet reporting the death of Osama bin Laden went viral before the president
had been able to address the news media. A visualisation by Social Flow
highlights the importance of both Urbahn and CNN's Brian Stelter in the spread
of this information.
A further body of work focuses on a specific type of online content that
often spreads rapidly: internet memes. Limor Shifman defines an internet meme
as:
a) a group of digital items sharing common characteristics of content, form,
and/or stance, which b) were created with awareness of each other, and c) were
circulated, imitated and/or transformed via the internet by many users.
When it comes to memes, the idea of "false information" takes on a very
different meaning compared to how journalists may verify online information.
Take, for example, the incident of a police officer seemingly casually pepper
spraying a group of Occupy protesters at a university campus in late 2011. While
this incident did take place, it also gave birth to a popular meme. This shows the
police officer photoshopped into a series of art works as well as other
contemporary and historical settings. So while the original information is
accurate, its further treatment turns it into something else.

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With the rapid development of platforms like Twitter, these different types
of content – and different types of users, including fake and spoof accounts – all
exist in the same place and can relate to the same event, which adds
complication.

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REFERENCES
 http://www.enkivillage.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internet.html
 http://www.iflscience.com/technology/facebook-echo-chambers-help-spread-
and-reinforce-misinformation/
 http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/brief-
history-internet
 http://www.mystudycorner.net/short-essay-on-advantages-and-disadvantages-
of-computers/
 http://www.pondered.org/the_internet.html
 https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080712022042AARzWim
 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/24/tackle-spread-
misinformation-online