Some differences between publishing on the Web and publishing in more traditional media, however, make Web publishing somewhat more complicated. First, the reach of the Web is much broader than most other media. Second, many Web pages are interactive, and encourage user participation through bulletin boards. Although this interactivity is valued by users and many Web publishers, problems can arise when a user posts something inflammatory or inaccurate. Ultimately, says Bertsche, the publisher may be responsible for what gets published on the site.
People tend to be more casual about what they say and do online than in other media.
On the other hand, one benefit of Web publishing is the ease with which material can be removed quickly and inexpensively. It's a lot easier to rewrite a line on a web site than to destroy a warehouse full of inaccurate books. And because it's simple to make corrections, site maintainers have a legal obligation to make corrections in a timely fashion, says Bertsche. As a Web publisher, you must respond quickly to complaints that information on your site is inaccurate or misleading. Know what's on your Web page and where it links to.