Online Ethos

As recently as 5 years ago, Web users were being advised to gauge Web site credibility by examining author credentials and expertise. Recent research shows, however, that users instead rely on a combination of factors such as design look, site structure, and usefulness of information when they judge Web sites. This article argues that this reliance on distributed credibility may be appropriate in a Web environment where authorship, credentials, and information sources are often not readily available for examination.