http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=1089356


in reply to When I want to check the accuracy of some widely held belief, I use:

Where to go depends, I think, on the item being verified. Wikipedia is useful for cultural memes and non-controversial items, but I'm not sure that query would qualify as an accuracy check.

Political beliefs and most other widely held beliefs don't usually warrant a check for me, either, unless I hold them and have been personally challenged on them. Sorry, but I just can't get excited when other people are wrong most of the time.

The one place I will check is when I run across an urban legend that interests me, and for that Snopes seems to work pretty well. Even there, however, I'm more interested in learning something new than I am in fact-checking someone else.