NEW RESOURCES
Irish Examiner: This new Interactive map shows the location of nearly 4,000 shipwrecks around Ireland. “The Irish coastline is first and foremost known for its cliffs, beaches and overall breathtaking beauty. … Not only that, today a new website has been launched allowing us to access information about the thousands of shipwrecks hidden in our waters. The Wreck Viewer interactive map is linked to the Wreck Inventory of Ireland database and contains exact locations for around 4,000 ships.”
Ekklesia: New resource offers hope to Cambodians challenging their government. “As Reporters Without Borders reveals that Cambodia has dropped ten places in its press freedom index, Global Witness and Open Corporates have launched a huge new dataset that will hand power back to the country’s citizens. The data, which shows who owns and controls companies in Cambodia, can help journalists and activists to expose the sorts of corruption and abuses that have helped keep the regime in power for over thirty years.”
The Art Newspaper: TED-style art history platform aims to promote arts education online. “There was a national outcry in 2016 when the last exam board in England to offer A-level art history announced that it would drop the subject. Following a high-profile campaign by leading art world figures, including the Tate’s former director Nicholas Serota and the artists Anish Kapoor and Cornelia Parker, the exam board Pearson decided to plug the gap. But it was this rumble in art education that inspired Heni Talks, a new online platform for educational videos about art that launches today (25 April).”
TWEAKS AND UPDATES
Cyclist: Hammer Series to be broadcast live on social media for free. “Entering into its second year, the Hammer Series is continuing in its quest to become a revolutionary movement in cycling with the announcement that all three events this year will be broadcast in full on social media. The three day innovative racing format will be broadcast live by Velon and Infront across three different platforms – Facebook, Twitter and DailyMotion. ” That’s interesting. DailyMotion over YouTube or Twitch.
India Today: Google Arts and Culture partners with Ministry of Tourism to explore Incredible India . “Google Arts and Culture has partnered with Ministry of Tourism to bring online a series of 360-degree virtual reality videos for the global Incredible India Tourism campaign. The key highlight of the partnership is a 360 video that takes users on a journey to some of the most iconic destinations in India.”
AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD
Alabama Centennial Blog: We Need YOU to Help Transcribe World War I Service Records! . “Earlier this month, as part of its commemoration of the World War I Centennial, the Archives launched the Alabama History DIY: World War I Service Records initiative. Archives staff, volunteers, and student workers spent eighteen months digitizing more than 100,000 index cards with information about the men and women who served in the war. Details ranging from biographical (age, residence, race) to military (enlistment date, branch of service, engagements) make the records a boon to both genealogists and historians. Users of the Archives’ World War I Gold Star Database will find this an excellent supplement, as it also includes survivors of the war. Now that the cards have been scanned, we are seeking volunteers to help us transcribe the information and create a new, searchable resource for our patrons.”
NPR: The Consumer Complaints Database That Could Disappear From View. “The Trump administration’s Mick Mulvaney was in the news again this week because he said he wanted to shut down public access to this popular government database at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The industry likes this idea and has long complained about the database, because it says the complaints aren’t vetted enough. Consumer groups say that keeping the public from seeing the database is a move that panders to companies the consumer regulator is supposed to be policing.”
New York Times: How Everyday Social Media Users Become Real-World Extremists. “When they talk about incitement to violence on Facebook — a growing problem in developing markets — representatives and critics of the platform alike tend to describe it as a problem created by small factions of extremists. The extremists, in this view, push out rumors and inflammatory claims to everyday users, who become ideologically infected. So stopping the violence should be as simple as silencing the extremists…. But a reconstruction of how Facebook-based misinformation and hate speech contributed to anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka last month, along with research on how people use social media, suggests that those who set out to be provocateurs are not the only danger — or even the biggest one.”
SECURITY & LEGAL
New York Times: How Fake Mark Zuckerbergs Scam Facebook Users Out of Their Cash. “A Facebook notification on Gary Bernhardt’s phone woke him up one night last November with incredible news: a message from Mark Zuckerberg himself, saying that he had won $750,000 in the Facebook lottery. ‘I got all excited. Wouldn’t you?’ said Mr. Bernhardt, 67, a retired forklift driver and Army veteran in Ham Lake, Minn. He stayed up until dawn trading messages with the person on the other end. To obtain his winnings, he was told, he first needed to send $200 in iTunes gift cards.”
Tuko (Kenya): Kenyans who insult others on Social Media to pay KSh 5 million fine if Uhuru signs new Bill into law. “The National Assembly has passed an amendment to the Cybercrime Bill which will see anyone using abusive language on Social Media face the wrath of the law. Being one of the victims of cyber bulllying, Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa who is a member of the Administration and Security Committee, moved the amendment which was passed by MPs on Thursday, April 26.” According to Google, five million KSh (Kenya Shillings) is just under $50,000 US dollars.
Lexology: Rise of the Super Injunctions – actions taken against Twitter and Google. “The New South Wales Supreme Court has recently ordered a worldwide injunction against Twitter to prevent the publication of confidential financial information. Whilst the granting of an injunction to prevent disclosure of confidential information is common, the scope of the injunction (that it apply globally) is a growing phenomenon within common law countries such Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Generally, an injunction will only apply within the jurisdiction of the Court. However, global (or super) injunctions are becoming more common, especially in media and/or defamation cases.”
RESEARCH & OPINION
Bloomberg Quint: EU’s Proposed Regulations for Social Media Are Toothless. “The European Union intends to tighten the standards regulating the digital economy. Even as internet companies change their terms of service to comply with privacy regulations that take effect next month, the European Commission published the draft of new rules governing the interaction of online platforms such as Amazon, Apple and Google with the businesses that sell through them. The proposed regulations, which aim to increase transparency and fairness, are overdue but far from sufficient.” Good morning, Internet…
Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. Not interested in commitment? Perhaps you’d buy me an iced tea. I love your comments, I love your site suggestions, and I love you. Feel free to comment on the blog, or @ResearchBuzz on Twitter. Thanks!
Categories: morningbuzz