29 Activity: Expert or Crank?

Twitter Expertise?

A tweet by Twitter user @MichaelESmith that reads, “Bullshit! Aztec society collapsed in 1519 fr. Cortes & smallpox. Salmonella in 1540 was far too late. And the painting is European fantasy.” Smith is responding to a tweet claiming that salmonella poisoning may have contributed to the fall of the Aztec civilization.
Screenshot of a tweet by Twitter user @MichaelESmith https://twitter.com/MichaelESmith/status/832603639260647425

This guy has a pretty negative reaction to something published in a highly reputable journal. Is he an expert, or just a guy with opinions about things?

Woodward and Bernstein

A tweet by @pixelatedboat featuring a photo of two men that reads, “This is Woodward and Bernstein. Nixon called them the enemy. They proved that no president is above the law. #NotTheEnemy.”
Screenshot of tweet by twitter user @pixelatedboat. https://twitter.com/pixelatedboat/status/833302789665140740

Are these the reporters who brought down Nixon? Is this a trustworthy reporter sharing this photo?

 

 

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Web Literacy for College Students 2nd Ed Copyright © 2020 by NSCC and Michael A. Caulfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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