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Sometimes it's hard to know whether "www" means "World Wide Web" or "Wild, Wicked Web". Because so much on the 'net is bogus, it's important to maintain a constant sense of skepticism about what you read on web sites and receive in emails.
In its most extreme form, Digital Skepticism requires that you refuse to believe anything you read on the 'Net. That's the safest approach. However, it's not the practical. Take Weather.com for example. Should you really mistrust the forecast? No. The good folks at Weather.com are probably as accurate as any.
How do you know the proper amount of skepticism required? Consider the source and content of the information. And then ask yourself a few questions.
"Did I seek this information or did it arrive unsolicited?"
"Why is my bank asking for my account number?" (It's not your bank!).
"Is that retailer really owned by the French government?" (No)
"Does the Emmir of Niger really want to give me $21,000,000?" (NO!).
"Will my dog really die if I don't forward this email to 20 people? (DUH!)
... You get the point.
Why is it necessary to be skeptical?
Skepticism is necessary because enough people lie, scam and steal that it's hard to know who is being honest, ethical and sincere. Remember the old cliche, "Don't trust him any further than you can see him"? It's wise advice when you're online.
Examples of why you should distrust anything you can't prove are overabundant. Take phishing as an example.
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