Get It Right

If you're going to write, be sure to always get your facts straight. This means not furthering urban legends that eternally circulate on the Internet until they show up in your in box screaming for exposure.

Speakers have embarrassed themselves by using anecdotes that are just not true. There are also many quotes that circulate and have homes in quotation Web sites that are false.

Demand verification. Hold yourself to a high standard before you pass along info ... especially in print. You can't "unprint" a magazine or book.

I do not allow my staff to use Wikipedia as a source. Quality control is impossible there since anyone can edit. (Wikipedia can be useful for links.)

Use a site like www.truthorfiction.com or snopes.com. They specialize in checking things out.