E-documents as stated in Ch. 1 have been questioned over as to what they really are.
If an exact copy of a paper document was made into electronic format is it the same? At first glance many would state yes. Yet as stated by Badke referencing (Marshall McLehan the Canadian techno philosopher) “The medium is the message.” The content is malleable and has the ability to morph into something different in various ways i.e. format , fonts, color, and distributed widely whereas traditionally worked paper documents are linear in fashion. E-documents can be added to with hyperlinks and references to enhance and in some cases confuse in their making. The sheer ability to change what you read at a moment’s notice is power that can enhance and yet change a point of view. This also touches upon the reliability of the information. With varied forms comes at times a dilution of the original message and intent of the information. Or in some cases a radical change in direction. With the web abounding with information in its varied forms good and bad. The concept of gatekeepers and peer review helps to stabilize some of what can happen if e-documents are let loose without some control. The old maxim “Trust yet Verify” is a well learned practice and fits in working and researching on the web for any electronic document.
