2.Digital Literacy and Information Fluency

Mermaids: Animal Planet

The purpose of having the website about the findings of mermaids is so that everyone knows more about their surroundings and more about mermaids. Some people don't really know that mermaids exist, but they really do and the animal planet website is there to prove and give more information about them.

Anon, nd. Mermaid Spottings. Available at [online]:http://http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/mermaids/photos/mermaid-spottings/.

Animal Planet discovered mermaids and have provided pictures as evidence as well as information about the whereabouts. There are two scientists who have testified that they have discovered the mermaids and provided photos 

The body of the mermaid that had been found had similar features as mammals as well as features that animals that live under water, namely;

Webbing between fingers (other primates do not have this)

Subcutaneous fat

Control of breath under water (up to 20 minutes)

loss of body hair

instinctive ability to swim

Highly developed brain

The response from readers was positive but also negative as there were some who believed that it was a lie and that Animal planet had staged the whole mermaid discovery. Although there was some negative feedback, some people actually appreciated the new information. in total Animal Planet managed to get the biggest audience in network history.

https://www.google.co.za/search?q=mermaids+the+body+found&biw=1034&bih=751&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=e19HVd2yEO-R7AbJsIGwCw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgrc=X0aiPTpd6sMs5M%253A%3BUhtpSBEsG9IwrM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fz6mag.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F06%252Fmermaid-found-in-bulgaria.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.thelivingmoon.com%252Fforum1%252Findex.php%253Ftopic%253D3781.0%3B540%3B797

My opinion of the mermaid website is that it is useful as it gives information about what I did not know before. Its great that they have evidence and pictures as it makes it more believable. It could make a big difference in our lives.

In 2013 Animal Planet aired a documentary about the discovering of mermaids and everything in the history that shows that mermaids might really actually exist.

The purpose of this site and series is to inform people about the discoveries that are made by scientists and normal everyday people across the world. People would like to know about new creatures that are being discovered, like mermaids. People think they have the right to know about what is going on in the world, and we do. It is not everyday that someone discovers a mythical creature.

Some people believed that there are such things as mermaids and other people think it’s all one big hoax to make money off of innocent people that will believe anything they hear. Most of the scientists that didn’t see the corpse of the mermaid, didn’t believe in it but the people who saw the corpse or any other evidence of mermaids believes in it.
Most of the videos you can see is man made with technology - computers, photoshop etc. but some of the pictures and videos look like the real deal. The videos by Animal Planet were made to explain how mermaids may have existed all a long and how they may have evolved. These videos is based on a theory and not real life or facts.

My opinion about this site is that some of the videos can be real but for the other I can see that it is fake. I will believe it if I see it with my own eyes in front of me, but I do believe that there are creatures out there that must still be discovered or that will maybe never be discovered like unicorns, mermaids, fairies, minotaur, aliens etc. for now we have to believe in what is real and what we know that God created. For the rest, it will stay mythical.

( Anon. n.d. Animal Planet - Mermaids. Accessed 5 May 2015. http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/mermaids/)

Having a digital footprint means that everything you do on the internet can be traced back to you whether or not you have deleted it, it will stay on the internet forever. Employers can trace your digital footprint to see what kind of person you are and if they want you to be a part of their company, and if you left a bad digital footprint it will influence their decision in employing you.

(Anon, 2015: 54-55)