Example of a Parody on the WWW
Unreliable Sources			There are plenty of parodies or "playful texts" on the Web. Some are easier to spot and more fun than others. However, the existence of parodies and hoaxes on the WWW means that you have to be very careful about reading and evaluating material you find on the Web. Everything you find on the Web is not reliable and true. Incorrect information can come from one more of the following groups of people:
			well-meaning individuals who post what they believe is true, but are mistaken people who don't know as much about the subject as they think they do people who voice strong beliefs, but do not mention that there are others with equally strong beliefs who disagree people with a commercial interest who post false or misleading information when describing their product or company people with a limited goal who forget that they are addressing the world on the WWW. They say things which might be true in their limited context, but which may not be true globally. imaginative people who intend their material to be understood, sooner or later, as a parody or hoax
Hands-on			Consider this Web site:
			The site describes the results of a series of scientific tests done by a group of college students. However, their purpose was not to define scientific issues or to find solutions to issues in science. They performed their studies on the Hostess Twinkie, a popular snack food. They state in their introduction that they are reporting on "a series of experiments conducted during finals week, 1995. And that the "tests were designed to determine the properties of that incredible food, the Twinkie." Did these students perform a series of experiments, or did they just develop the site to have some fun? You'll have to decide that for yourself. The goal of these students, the study of the Twinkie, is not one of serious concern to scientists, although their methodology was that of the scientific experiment:
Parody of Scientific Methodology			For the remainder of this document, a 'standard' Twinkie shall be understood to mean "a Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy filling...created by the Hostess Company, baked by Continental Baking Co, and marketed under the brand name 'Twinkie,' produced in lot 517/117 0506 with an expiration date of May 10th, and containing enriched flour (niacin, iron (ferrous sulfate), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin), water, ...
			The authors suggest that the inspiration for their work may have been the packaging. Twinkies come two to a package and are thus suitable for a controlled experiment, a scientific study in which one part of a sample is changed in a controlled way, while the other is left as a "control":
Look at the T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. experiments (Don't forget to come back when you are done!)			Twinkies used for these tests were bought at the Fiesta Store on Main St. They were purchased April 29. A total of 20 Twinkies (2 boxes of 10) were purchased, all with expiration dates of May 10th, and both boxes were from lot 517/116, 0506. Each test consisted of two Twinkies. One Twinkie acted as the control, and was not touched during the course of the experiment. The other Twinkie was subjected to various stimuli and its reactions recorded, photographed, and placed on this home page. After each test, the control Twinkie was consumed to ensure that it would not be inadvertently used in another experiment.
Return to More Meanings of the URL			In the excerpt above, the authors play with the notion that Twinkies are fun to eat, suggesting that they ate the control cake for scientific reasons, and not because they liked eating the Twinkies. A further analysis of the site would show that the authors achieve a comic effect by mixing styles typical of their own speech patterns ("Twinkies sure taste good") and those more typical of scientific discourse ("Using the dimensions of a Twinkie (2.7 cm x 9.9 cm x 3.8 cm), we were able to calculate the total volume (101.574 cubic centimeters)."
Main Sections