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Daily Archives: August 12, 2021

Crowdsourcing COVID-19: A Brief Analysis of Librarian Posts on Reddit

[Via Library Boy] “The Chandos Digital Information Review recently published a book chapter (free, open access) entitled Crowdsourcing COVID-19: A Brief Analysis of Librarian Posts on Reddit by Daniella Smith of the University of North Texas:

“Initially, COVID-19 was mistaken for a cold. As time passed, the entire world was infected. It became evident that social distancing was needed to counteract the virus’s spread when the infection rate increased. Although social distancing was a viable option for many professions, it impeded the services offered by libraries. Libraries are cultural institutions that facilitate the social and educational health of their communities. Many citizens rely on libraries to obtain resources critical to their well-being. As such, libraries continued to offer their much-needed services, and librarians worldwide sought to implement the best-known practices to survive the COVID-19 disaster. This study explores how librarians responded to COVID-19 by examining their posts to the Reddit social media network. Popular discussion topics, questions posed by librarians, and the strategies used to cope with the pandemic are presented.”

It is part of a book called Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID by Chandos Publishing.

How DuckDuckGo makes money selling search, not privacy

TechRepublic: “…As much as we may resist the idea of being tracked online, we’re often told it’s necessary to give us personalized results. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg disagrees: It’s actually a big myth that search engines need to track your personal search history to make money or deliver quality search results. Almost all of the… Continue Reading

Greenhouse gas emissions must peak within 4 years, says leaked UN report

The Guardian: “Global greenhouse gas emissions must peak in the next four years, coal and gas-fired power plants must close in the next decade and lifestyle and behavioural changes will be needed to avoid climate breakdown, according to the leaked draft of a report from the world’s leading authority on climate science. Rich people in… Continue Reading

Excerpt: How Google bought Android—according to folks in the room

Ars Technica: “Androids: The team that built the Android operating system is a new book from longtime Android engineer Chet Haase. Haase has been on the Android team since 2010, and he interviewed dozens of Googlers for this book, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at early Android development. With Haase’s permission, we’re giving readers a… Continue Reading

An Inflection Point for Libraries

Publishers Weekly – “With billions in federal funding at stake, library leaders must see this moment for what it is: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to truly transform the future of libraries…With the delta variant currently surging among the unvaccinated, ensuring the safety of our library workers and our communities remains our top priority. But with any… Continue Reading

Facebook’s Attack on Research is Everyone’s Problem

EFF: “Facebook recently banned the accounts of several New York University (NYU) researchers who run Ad Observer, an accountability project that tracks paid disinformation, from its platform. This has major implications: not just for transparency, but for user autonomy and the fight for interoperable software. Ad Observer is a free/open source browser extension used to collect… Continue Reading

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission Report

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission Report [August 12, 2021] consists of over 80 recommendations which are organized into 6 pillars. These 6 pillars are as follows: Reform the U.S. Government’s Structure and Organization for Cyberspace. Strengthen Norms and Non-Military Tools. Promote National Resilience. Reshape the Cyber Ecosystem. Operationalize Cybersecurity Collaboration with the Private Sector. Preserve and… Continue Reading