Starting with the Web

Although many people first go to the Web for information, it is not always the best place for what you need. We are talking here of the 'Public Web' as opposed to the 'Library Web'. It's pretty difficult to make definitive statements about something as diverse as the Public Web. But here we go...

Most information on the Public Web does not go through a review process.
Anyone can publish on the Web without passing the content through an editor. Pages might be written by an expert on the topic, a journalist, an unhappy customer or an erudite 10 year old.

A lot of information on the Public Web is not free, especially the good stuff.
Many Web pages are free to view, but some commercial sites will charge a fee to access their information.

Information on the Public Web is not organised.
Some directory services, like Yahoo and Google, collect links to sites and place them in subject lists, but there are too many Web pages for any single directory service or search engine to organise and index.

Most information on the Public Web is not comprehensive.
The millions of Web pages out there make up an eclectic mosh-pit of information and opinion. Rarely will you be able to use a search engine on the Web to collect information about your topic from different decades, different viewpoints, and different types of sources.

Most information on the Public Web is not permanent.
Some well-maintained sites are updated with very current information, but other sites may become quickly dated or disappear altogether without notice.