afternoonbuzz

Muslim Sources, Knewz, Google Photos, More: Monday Evening ResearchBuzz, July 12, 2021

NEW RESOURCES

J Source: New Database Aims To Amplify Muslim Voices In Canadian Media. “A new online expert database was launched in May with the goal of increasing Muslim voices featured in Canadian media. Naureen Aqueel, journalist and founder of Muslim Sources, said she hopes to grow the database to improve Muslim representation helping journalists diversify their sources.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Ars Technica: Rupert Murdoch’s answer to Google News is dead after only 18 months. “In August of 2019, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp announced that it was developing Knwez, its own ‘conservative friendly’ alternative to Google News. Knewz went live without much fanfare in January of 2020, and officially died today, less than eighteen months later.” As you might imagine, I see literally hundreds of headlines a day (possibly more. I try not to think about it.) I saw zero coverage of Knewz. Jelly got more coverage in the part of media that makes it to my Google Alerts.

USEFUL STUFF

Lifehacker: How to Hide Your Sensitive Pictures in Google Photos. “If, for some reason, you have taken photos on your phone that you don’t want just anyone to see, you may want to use some sort of privacy feature. While there are third party apps that can hide your intimate photos, Google recently announced a new feature to lock your private images directly in Google Photos.” This is not necessarily noods; you might have images of things like your driver’s license and passport in case they’re stolen.

Search Engine Journal: 5 Things Google Analytics Can’t Tell You & How to Get the Missing Info. “It’s important for marketers to be aware of Google Analytics’ limitations. Once you know what you don’t have, you can figure out how to get it. Here are the five main things Google Analytics can’t tell you and how to get the missing information, so you can make the right marketing decisions.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

South China Morning Post: China targets LGBT student organisations on social media in new wave of repression. “The WeChat accounts of dozens of LGBT student organisations across China were shut down permanently on Tuesday night in a sweeping wave of repression, sparking anger within the LGBT community. The accounts included those from top universities such as the Sex-Gender Study Community of Renmin University, Peking University ColorsWorld and the Shanghai-based Fudan University Zhihe Society.”

Go San Angelo: Nominations for national ‘I love my librarian award’ now open. “Has a librarian made a difference in your life? You can nominate them for the national ‘I Love My Librarian Award,’ which honors librarians across the country who are changing lives and improving communities. Each year, ten librarians are selected to receive a $5,000 cash award and $750 for their library in recognition of their public service.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Politico: ‘Nowhere to be found’: The internet industry’s D.C. powerhouse recedes. “Silicon Valley’s longtime voice in D.C. is in disarray. The Internet Association has been shedding staff, losing influence on Capitol Hill and shrinking to near-obscurity in media coverage of tech policy debates in Washington, even as the industry faces controversies ranging from alleged monopolization to privacy to how it treats its legions of workers.”

Engadget: Kaseya was warned about security flaws years ahead of ransomware attack. “The giant ransomware attack against Kaseya might have been entirely avoidable. Former staff talking to Bloomberg claim they warned executives of ‘critical’ security flaws in Kaseya’s products several times between 2017 and 2020, but that the company didn’t truly address them. Multiple staff either quit or said they were fired over inaction.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

The Atlantic: You Really Need to Quit Twitter. “I’m almost 60, and in these many decades I’ve seen people—some of them good friends—taken down by all kinds of things. Alcohol and drugs, mostly. A few years ago, I lost someone to heroin, and hundreds of us sat at his funeral in wordless communion. I know a couple of people who couldn’t shake gambling, and many plagued by food and sex and all the other great distractions. But in all these years—almost 60!—I haven’t had trouble with any of those things. Until now. You know what finally took me down? Fucking Twitter.”

Techdirt: Juul Rented A Scientific Journal For a Month To Spread Glorified Marketing. “Juul is sparing no expense to try and convince the FDA to keep its products on store shelves. Buried in a New York Times report on the looming FDA decision was an interesting nugget: namely that the company had paid $51,000 for a month of favorable coverage in the American Journal of Health Behavior.” Good evening, Internet…

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