An interesting read in the Observer yesterday about what you will get back in your search results if you make a search for "did the holocaust happen".
In some ways I don't find this surprising as there are constant efforts made by those that desire to manipulate the results returned by Google searches. Whether it is due to a "gaming" of the algorithm, prior knowledge of how the algorithm determines what results are returned (this could be the same thing?) or it is just a failure on the part of the users of the Internet to determine fact from fiction, I am not sure.
There is no doubt that organisations such as Stormfront have an influence on what can be found but it is still up to the reader to determine the validity and credibility of the source. I think that it is more an example of the sick lengths that some people will go to perpetuate their own warped view of things by the posting of You Tube videos "showing the truth".
More importantly, to me, is the example of how it is difficult to make a criticism without getting some feedback from an interested party making a vague threat. Threats on the lines "you can't say that as there will financial implication if you do"
The article:
Google is not ‘just’ a platform. It frames, shapes and distorts how we see the world - Carole Cadwalladr - Sunday 11 December 2016
A quote from the article:
That is how power works. This is how power works too: the last time I wrote a story that Google didn’t like, I got a call from Peter Barron, Google’s UK head of press, who was at pains to point out the positive and beneficial relationship that Google has with the Guardian Media Group, our owners.
It seems that writing things that someone doesn't like has its consequences.
In some ways I don't find this surprising as there are constant efforts made by those that desire to manipulate the results returned by Google searches. Whether it is due to a "gaming" of the algorithm, prior knowledge of how the algorithm determines what results are returned (this could be the same thing?) or it is just a failure on the part of the users of the Internet to determine fact from fiction, I am not sure.
There is no doubt that organisations such as Stormfront have an influence on what can be found but it is still up to the reader to determine the validity and credibility of the source. I think that it is more an example of the sick lengths that some people will go to perpetuate their own warped view of things by the posting of You Tube videos "showing the truth".
More importantly, to me, is the example of how it is difficult to make a criticism without getting some feedback from an interested party making a vague threat. Threats on the lines "you can't say that as there will financial implication if you do"
The article:
Google is not ‘just’ a platform. It frames, shapes and distorts how we see the world - Carole Cadwalladr - Sunday 11 December 2016
A quote from the article:
That is how power works. This is how power works too: the last time I wrote a story that Google didn’t like, I got a call from Peter Barron, Google’s UK head of press, who was at pains to point out the positive and beneficial relationship that Google has with the Guardian Media Group, our owners.
It seems that writing things that someone doesn't like has its consequences.
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