EP Diary Forum

Web texts need to establish their "provenance"

With all the dross on the web, readers have no clear idea of the value of what they are reading. Unless it's a page from a well-known nameplate like TIME Inc. or The New York Times, the credibility and the credentials of the author need to be explicit somewhere on the site.

There are no volumes or editions in the fragmented world of the surfer. Like the http protocol, it's a "stateless" reading experience where the customer need not navigate through the front door of the Table of Contents, Editor's Note or masthead. Often, the present page is all that he knows of a publication, and if it's not well marked he has no clue how much it's worth.

When you buy a Picasso, you hire an expert to establish the provenance of the work: is it real or a fake, is it well-regarded, does it have a particular history, is it worth the money, and so on. Web texts should establish their own provenance with good author's bios, reading notes, and mission statements.