Your opinion wanted - online "guides" like e*how

[Bang!Zoom!]

Personally, I am not a huge fan, consider them about the level of Wikipedia as far as scholarly content that can be trusted....

 

What about you guys?

 

What sort of opinion would you have of being directed to such a place for formal, graded, college level, written essay instruction?

 

Would you be appalled at such advice? Or just say, "eh, no biggie.."

 

Scale of 1-10? 1 being no big deal - 10 being ready to riot in the streets...

 

I'm probably about an 7.5 here.

 

Would it offend you?

[Brilliant]

Personally, I am not a huge fan, consider them about the level of Wikipedia as far as scholarly content that can be trusted....

 

 

I would trust Wikipedia more. ;)

 

I think of eHow the way I think of the about.com pages. Sort of lowest-common-denominator type stuff. For example, you can find a web page on Southern cooking at About.com. But I'd never use any of their recipes - I'd go straight to Southern Living instead.

 

It would surprise me that somebody thinks you can get college-level writing instruction from eHow. But maybe our perception is wrong and they are a simply fantastic service!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I go to e*how for stuff like how to get gum out of my daughter's hair. I've gotten very good practical advice. I wouldn't even think of going there for academic advice.

[Luckymama]

:eek:

 

For a college-level paper? No way!

 

My 12yo is learning proper citations this year. Last week while googling for some specific information she was able to separate inappropriate resources (Wikipedia, anything with wiki in the name, answers.com, ehow and so on) from appropriate resources (in her particular case, various university sites, astronomy.com, and NOAA).

[marbel]

In a writing class, I was told that E*how and similar sites are deliberately written in a way to attract hits on a google search. It's called SEO - Search Engine Optimization writing. Their main purpose is to generate ad revenue. We were advised that anyone who wanted a serious writing career should not write for such site, or to write under a pseudonym so as not to be linked to such writing.

 

I tend not to use them much. Wouldn't think of it for academic research.

 

Please don't shoot the messenger if you are a writer for an SEO. Just relating what I was told by some writing teachers.

 

;)

[LaxMom]

I go to e*how for stuff like how to get gum out of my daughter's hair. I've gotten very good practical advice. I wouldn't even think of going there for academic advice.

 

Yeah, that.

 

I'm not sure I'd be rioting in the streets over it, but I like my academics edited and/or peer reviewed, so I would be annoyed by a direction to go to such a site.

[Night Elf]

I can't imagine using it for something serious, but ds16 did just use one of their how-to articles to write a one-paragraph assignment on how to make a water filter. He has a Survival of the Fittest English assignment that asked for directions on how to do some survival skill if you were stranded somewhere without water, food, or shelter. He did compare it with another site, but ended up using the ehow article because it was a better set-up. He even cited it in his MLA format bibliography and his teacher accepted it. I'm assuming it would not be accepted for a formal paper.

[angela in ohio]

I consider them less reliable than Wikipedia. At least on Wikipedia, people can edit each other's content.

 

Being directed to one as a resource for a college-level paper... probably a 9.0 or 9.5, depending on who did the directing :D