Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: August 10, 2020

People are using Facebook and Instagram as search engines

NiemanLab – During a pandemic, that’s dangerous – Data voids on social networks are spreading misinformation and causing real world harm. Here are some ideas on how to fix the problem. “We are especially vulnerable when we want to know something — such as how to treat Covid-19 — but no credible information exists. At the beginning of the pandemic, confusion about symptoms, causes, and treatments reigned. Viral posts claimed a runny nose was not a sign of the disease, or that garlic, alcohol, or sunlight were good preventative measures. A range of medicines have been tried and tested, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, remdesivir, azithromycin, and dexamethasone. Some were found to be effective, others less so If more speculation or misinformation exists around these terms than credible facts, then search engines often present that to people who, in the midst of a pandemic, may be in a desperate moment. This can lead to confusion, conspiracy theories, self-medication, stockpiling, and overdoses. These invisible moments of vulnerability are known as data voids: when there are high levels of demand for information on a topic, but low levels of credible supply. Data voids were first defined by Michael Golebiewski and danah boyd in 2019, and describe vulnerabilities that emerge from search engines like Google..”

PDF: Still Unfit for Human Consumption 20 Years Later

Nielsen Norman Group: “Jakob Nielsen first wrote about how PDF files should never be read online in 1996 — only three years after PDFs were invented. Over 20 years later, our research continues to prove that PDFs are just as problematic for users. Despite the evidence, they’re still used far too often to present content… Continue Reading

Google Search Mobile Market Share Likely to Drop Around 20% through Search Preference Menus

DuckDuckGo Blog: “As explained in the first post of this series, we believe search preference menus — ones that change all search defaults and include the most common Google alternatives — can deliver meaningful search engine choice to consumers and significantly increase competition in the search market.  In short, it’s a great tool when designed… Continue Reading

How to use ventilation and air filtration to prevent the spread of coronavirus indoors

The Conversation: “The vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs indoors, most of it from the inhalation of airborne particles that contain the coronavirus. The best way to prevent the virus from spreading in a home or business would be to simply keep infected people away. But this is hard to do when an estimated 40%… Continue Reading

How to Be a Better Reader, With Librarian Margaret H. Willison

lifehacker: “This week we’re learning how to be better readers with help from librarian and podcaster Margaret H. Willison. Listen to hear Margaret break down how we should rethink our definitions of what a being a “good” or “well-read” reader means, and the tactics we can use to improve our own reading game—from taking advantage… Continue Reading

Journalists’ guide to COVID data

RTDNA: “Watch a press conference, turn on a newscast, or overhear just about any phone conversation these days and you’ll hear mayors discussing R values, reporters announcing new fatalities and separated families comparing COVID case rolling averages in their counties. As coronavirus resurges across the country, medical data is no longer just the purview of… Continue Reading

Strengthening Privacy Protections in COVID-19 Mobile Phone–Enhanced Surveillance Programs

RAND Brief via Mary Whisner – Strengthening Privacy Protections in COVID-19 Mobile Phone–Enhanced Surveillance Programs [PDF only] by Benjamin Boudreaux, Matthew A. DeNardo, Sarah W. Denton, Ricardo Sanchez, Katie Feistel, Hardika Dayalani “Public health officials worldwide are struggling to manage the lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As part of the response, governments, technology companies,… Continue Reading

As COVID-19 Tanks the Economy Eviction Moratoriums Expire

Pew Stateline: “It’s the beginning of the month, rent is due, the $600 in federal unemployment relief has lapsed and Congress seems far from agreeing on another coronavirus aid package. Meanwhile, the federal moratorium on evictions has ended, and similar mandates in many cities and states have expired or soon will. This week, as pressure… Continue Reading