Therefore, it is increasingly important as the medium grows to have a discerning attitude toward the information found on the Web. The ease with which a person can misrepresent himself or herself can lead to serious consequences. Thus, Internet users need to exercise caution when browsing. Bulletin boards and chat rooms abound on the Internet, and individuals can pass themselves off as man or woman, expert or doctor, and offer an opinion with apparent impunity. For this reason, Internet users should be particularly cautious about information gleaned from those areas.
Some Web sites offer clues in their titles about their legitimacy.
Browsers are advised that no one can speak an opinion for the AVMA on the Internet unless it is to express a policy or position that has been approved by the Executive Board or House of Delegates. All recommended sites are reviewed by AVMA staff, in a continuing attempt to find the preferred sites and weed out those that could be considered distasteful or guilty of misrepresentation. Use of such information is voluntary and reliance on it should be only undertaken after an independent review of qualified experts. Thus, it remains the browser s responsibility to be mindful about what s out there. Accepting information at a Web site at face value is the same as judging a book solely by its cover.