Looking at website, it is easy to note that it is a fake site. It mimics the appearance of the actual newspaper’s site – for example, it uses its distinctive logo (“New York Times”). It may even hold up to fact-checking since some it borrows the news titles from the actual issues of the New York Times. However, it is definitely not current, as the latest news is from 2009 (“New York Times”). As a result, it is not very relevant either, since the information it offers is more than a decade older and, as such, largely obsolete. The website attempts to imitate the legitimacy of a reputable newspaper, but the additional “-se” in the URL undermines its attempt to gain authority in the audience’s eyes (“New York Times”). In terms of accuracy, the headlines refer to the pieces from the actual New York Times issues, so they should be just as accurate as the original publication.
Judging on the site’s blatant attempt to mimic the New York Times website, it would be easy to assume it is a spoof rather than a fake. In this case, its purpose would be goading the people into revealing their sensitive information. However, the most evident example of such information would be log-in details for the actual NY Times account – and while the site has a “Log In” link, it does not lead anywhere (“New York Times”). Links to articles do not lead anywhere, so even a person initially fooled by the site’s design would soon see that something is wrong with it. Finally, repeating one single headliner “Crumbling Infrastructure Brings Opportunities” over and over across the page does not help to build legitimacy in the user’s eyes (“New York Times”). In its current shape, website is very unlikely to be a spoof designed to steal the users’ sensitive information and is merely an obvious fake with no clear purpose.
Reference
The New York Times (2009). The New York Times. Web.