Web sites authored by government entities such as legislatures, courts, agencies and departments are more dependable for both content and longevity than personal sites. Web material published by educational institutions also bears the same sort of indicia of authenticity and reliability. Thus, information mounted by Stanford University is more likely to be well researched, regularly maintained and accurate than information from someone you know nothing about. On the other hand, some of the best work on the Web is done by individuals and commercial enterprises. Be inquisitive about what you see and who put it there, just as you would about an author or publisher of a book.
Nothing is worse than stale or outdated information.
Check the Web site for some indication of when the information was last updated, or how it is maintained. Check a sampling of links and see if they all work. Dead-end links may indicate that the site is not being regularly maintained. An individual may lose interest or lack time to maintain a site over a long period of time. Check out something you are familiar with and see if it looks accurate, helpful and up to date.