Activity #1 - Validate Website

Website: California's Velcro Crop under Challenge
Who:
1. Can you contact the company or author through a real world postal address or phone number?
No, this website did not provide a phone number or an address. There wasn't even a publishing company mentioned.
2. Has someone taken responsibility for the content of this Web site?
Ken Umbach which has a link to a site that the author made about himself.
3. Can you confirm that the company or author is a credible, authoritative source of information?
No, unless we credit the "Totally Bogus Biography" the author made about himself.

What:
1.What's the copyright status of material found on the site?
There was no publishing company found on the page.
2.Does the site clearly state the topics that it intends to address?
Yes, the information is easy to read and even includes a graph on the information presented.
 3. Is emotion used as a means of persuasion?
This site is more about presenting the facts than a persuasion of the audience.

When:
1. Is it important that the information you're looking for be absolutely current?
Since the page was made in 1993, I think the information should be updated at least every 5 years. A lot has change in the 19 years the page was made.
2. Is a reference date provided to show when the material was put online, or when it was last updated?
By the title there is (1993) to suggest that was when this site was put up.
3. Do the links work?
Besides the link to the autobiography, the other links do not work.

Why:
1.Can I get the information faster offline?
Since I live in West Virginia, there probably isn't a lot of information on California available. It would be faster to search online.
2. Does the online material I'm finding suit my needs?
The information isn't very credible, but it does address the shortage on Velcro like I was looking for.
3. Am I able to verify this information?
No.