> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://achronicvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What You Reshare Can Change Someone Else's Life Forever - URL: https://achronicvoice.com/what-you-reshare-can-change-life/ - Published: 2016-10-11T00:40:15.000Z - Updated: 2025-09-28T14:04:17.000Z - Author: Sheryl Chan - Tags: Community, Chronic Illness, Relationships, Digital Health ## What You Reshare Can Have Severe Consequences In a previous post, I wrote about how[**some advice given to others can be lethal**](https://achronicvoice.com/advice-quite-literally-kill/). There are some great alternative and complementary therapies out there, but there is [**no one-treatment-fits-all**](https://achronicvoice.com/pain-management-tips-pain-flare/) when it comes to chronic illness. The Chinese herbal brew you consumed might have worked wonders for you, but trigger liver failure in someone else. *\*Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes, and is based on my personal experiences as a patient. *I am not a doctor, and nothing in this article should be substituted for medical advice.* Please consult your own doctor before changing or adding *any* new treatment protocols. This post may also contain affiliate links. It will cost you nothing to click on them. I will get a small referral fee from purchases you make, which helps with the maintenance of this blog. Read our* [***Privacy Policy***](https://achronicvoice.com/privacy-policy/)*page for more information. Thank you!* - **Updated:** 24 September, 2025 ### The Internet is a Wasteland of Twisted Facts & Straight Up Weird Many of these alternative therapies also come from unverified sources. Sometimes even 'established' sources can turn out to be false, such as this woman, [Bell Gibson](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36195825), who faked recovery from brain cancer, and proceeded to make money from launching an app and cookbook. It can be difficult to weed out false data, and I've reshared bits of misinformation unwittingly as well. No one is to blame – with increased access to information comes an influx of opinions and theories as well. But I thought I would compile a quick how to guide on some ways we can all learn to verify sources of what we read and choose to spread. Mere words can become detrimental when others take the information as truth, and proceed to make life-changing decisions. Pin to Your Information & Social Media Boards: ![What You Reshare Can Change Someone Else’s Life Forever](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/what-you-reshare-can-change-life.jpg) ## 1\. Is the Article Published by a Well-Established Organisation? My concerns are somewhat appeased when the article comes from a well-established and neutral newspaper, hospital or charity organisation. Their own credibility is on the line, so I assume that they would take a little more precaution. Having said that, we live in a time where speed is king. It has become quite common for newspapers especially to publish news that bear glaring mistakes. I tend to regard independent sources with more precaution. Remember to fact check anything you find suspicious. Half of them end up as useful feeds, whilst the other half discarded for inaccurate data. Often these 'facts' are based on the author's personal opinion or belief, with no proof. Personal blogs and stories are a little different in agenda. Their purpose is often not to educate through mere facts, but aim at sharing experiences. It is one person’s point of view, and it can be interesting to see how others cope with a similar problem I might have. I do not follow medical advice from anyone online however, and would consult my own doctor first before trying anything new. Read Related Posts: - [Why I Need to See More Than 10 Different Types of Doctors Regularly](https://achronicvoice.com/why-need-see-different-types-of-doctors/) - [12 Chronic Illness Bloggers Share Their Top Posts for 2020](https://achronicvoice.com/chronic-illness-bloggers-top-posts-2020/) - [How to Prepare for a Medical Appointment in a Post-Pandemic World (4 Top Tips From a Doctor)](https://achronicvoice.com/prepare-medical-appointment/) - [Latest Research on Antiphospholipid Syndrome](https://achronicvoice.com/latest-research-on-antiphospholipid-syndrome/) - [Useful Things to Do While on Bed Rest After Surgery: Education, Advocacy & Volunteering](https://achronicvoice.com/useful-things-to-do-while-on-bed-rest/) ## 2\. Who Wrote the Article? The next thing you should do is to check the qualifications of the person who wrote the article. Are they a qualified medical professional in that niche, or just someone who claims to be an expert? There are millions of ‘experts’ on the internet; anyone can claim expertise based on their sole opinion. But for something as serious as a medical issue, qualification and establishment is of primacy importance. ## 3\. Domain Name Can Sometimes Give a Hint A TLD is the end bit of a URL, with the most common ones being ‘.com’, ‘.net’, and ‘.org’. A TLD with ‘.gov’ or ‘.edu’ are the most reliable, as it indicates a governmental or educational source. Some shady ones are TLDs ending with ‘.xxx’ (for porn), ‘.xyz’, and anything that you don’t see in common usage. Having said that, such TLDs *can* be legitimate as well, such as BlueSky's original URL, “blueskyweb.xyz”. [I wasn't the only one who thought it was a scam](https://www.reddit.com/r/BlueskySocial/comments/1iurv7u/confused%5Fgot%5Fsuspended%5Fwhy%5Fis%5Fthe%5Fmoderation/) at first though, because of the URL. Many domains also contain factual words in their names, such as ‘science’, ‘health’ or ‘medicine’. It might be called 'realhealthfacts.com' for example, but that does not mean that it truly is an established source of information. You don't need qualifications to purchase a domain name online - you just need a credit card. ## 4\. Has the Article Been Properly Edited? I mean, this one is pretty obvious isn’t it? If they can't be bothered to do basic spell check and use proper grammar, how trustworthy can their content be? ## 5\. Can You Find Matching Information from Reliable Sources on Google? To clear a doubt, you can always source for more information on Google, or better yet, on [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com.sg/). For example, after reading an article about ‘The Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes”, you can do a search for a specific symptom you were unsure about. Fact check it against other medical journals. If the information is controversial and not from a well regarded source, chances are it’s not quite the truth. Another reliable medical chatbot is medisearch.io, which I now use for medical writing. What I like is that it references only published journals. I also like the ‘find contradictions’ feature, and it tell you if there no verified sources on the topic. You can [**read my review about MediSearch here**](https://achronicvoice.com/medisearch-review-medical-ai-search-engine/). ## What You Reshare — A Compiled Checklist Before You Post All the above pit stops just to reshare an article might sound like quite a hassle! But it is knowledge we retain as truth in our minds, and advocate to others when we share it with them. Here is a simplified checklist for quick reference: 1. Is it written by an established medical organisation? or 2. Is it written by a professional with the relevant qualifications? 3. Has the article been properly edited? 4. Did they cite their sources? 5. Is the domain a reliable one? 6. Are there other established medical articles supporting the listed facts? It is still possible to slip up even with this checklist, and that is okay. Should you discover that you might have posted something detrimental, take it down as soon as possible, or update it with a correction. If you have other questions or tips, feel free to reach out to me in the comments section below. Happy resharing! ## Sign Up for My Free Newsletter Be the first to get the latest post updates in your inbox, and unlock the comments section. You will also receive an e-book full of uplifting messages, quotes and illustrations as a token of appreciation! [Browse more membership plans here](#/portal/), or [make a one-off donation](https://achronicvoice.com/#/portal/support) instead. Sign Up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Read Related Posts: - [Antiphospholipid Syndrome Diagnosis: The A to Z Guide as a Patient](https://achronicvoice.com/antiphospholipid-syndrome-diagnosis-a-to-z-guide/) - [When Your Stress & Fatigue Thresholds Suck (Also on Cute Cockatiels, Education via Zoom & Art Films for Rent)](https://achronicvoice.com/stress-fatigue-thresholds-suck/) - [My Responses to “A Day in the Life” Linkup (What Does 'Normal' Even Mean?)](https://achronicvoice.com/a-day-in-the-life/) - [What's It Like Going Back to School as an Adult with Disability and Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/going-back-to-school-as-an-adult-disability-chronic-illness/) - [Tell Me You're Chronically Ill Without Telling Me You're Chronically Ill (Chronic Illness Memes)](https://achronicvoice.com/chronic-illness-memes/)