Okay - so you think you know a legit website when you see one.

According to the Associated Press (AP) these are the seven things to consider when evaluating a Web entry or site.

1.) Who is sponsoring the page? Is the author identifiable? You should avoid anonymous sources.
2.) Is there contact information in case you want to follow up?
3.) Is the domain type appropriate for the information provided? (.edu, .com, .gov ...)
4.) The source for the information on the page should be clearly stated, whether origional or borrowed.
5.) Based on what you know, how accurate does the information seem? If there is something on the site you know is incorrect, errors are likely elsewhere.
6.) Are there any obvious signs of bias? (where do the ads take you?)
7.) Is the page current? (when was it created or last updated?)

I call my AP style book my "politically correct" style book, but as seen above, there are common sense ideas and guidelines in it.

This list can be used to evaluate e-mails as well. One of my "pet-peeves" is when I get a forward and I scan the e-mail and it is obvious it is not legit. Certain family members send them on to me and I've had a difficult time explaining why the e-mails are scams.