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Daily Archives: March 1, 2021

5 Pandemic Mistakes We Keep Repeating. We can learn from our failures.

The Atlantic – “…Five key fallacies and pitfalls have affected public-health messaging, as well as media coverage, and have played an outsize role in derailing an effective pandemic response. These problems were deepened by the ways that we—the public—developed to cope with a dreadful situation under great uncertainty. And now, even as vaccines offer brilliant hope, and even though, at least in the United States, we no longer have to deal with the problem of a misinformer in chief, some officials and media outlets are repeating many of the same mistakes in handling the vaccine rollout. The pandemic has given us an unwelcome societal stress test, revealing the cracks and weaknesses in our institutions and our systems. Some of these are common to many contemporary problems, including political dysfunction and the way our public sphere operates. Others are more particular, though not exclusive, to the current challenge—including a gap between how academic research operates and how the public understands that research, and the ways in which the psychology of coping with the pandemic have distorted our response to it. Recognizing all these dynamics is important, not only for seeing us through this pandemic—yes, it is going to end—but also to understand how our society functions, and how it fails. We need to start shoring up our defenses, not just against future pandemics but against all the myriad challenges we face—political, environmental, societal, and technological. None of these problems is impossible to remedy, but first we have to acknowledge them and start working to fix them—and we’re running out of time…”

VaccineFinder: New tool aims to show where COVID-19 shots are available

“VaccineFinder is a free, online service where users can search for locations that offer vaccinations. We work with partners such as clinics, pharmacies, and health departments to provide accurate and up-to-date information about vaccination services. VaccineFinder is operated by epidemiologists and software developers at Boston Children’s Hospital…” [Note – the availability of COVID-19 vaccines is… Continue Reading

EU law requires companies to fix electronic goods for up to 10 years

Euronews: “Companies that sell refrigerators, washers, hairdryers, or TVs in the European Union will need to ensure those appliances can be repaired for up to 10 years, to help reduce the vast mountain of electrical waste that piles up each year on the continent. The “right to repair,” as it is sometimes called, comes into… Continue Reading

Home-security cameras have become a fruitful resource for law enforcement and a fatal risk

Washington Post: “Police forces across the U.S. made more than 20,000 requests last year for footage captured by Ring’s “video doorbells” and other home-security cameras, underscoring how the rapid growth of inexpensive home surveillance technology has given American law enforcement an unprecedented ability to monitor neighborhood life. The requests reflect the Amazon-owned company’s policy of… Continue Reading

AI-powered fact checker begins roll out to selected government agencies

CNET – “Logically Intelligence, an AI-powered web platform that finds and analyzes online misinformation, as well as provides courses of action to take against it. “Logically Intelligence is a culmination of four years of work,” Jain explained to me. “We can find ways to predict the impact of emerging threats and give our partners ways… Continue Reading

How to identify and apply for unposted job opportunities

Fast Company – “If you’re looking for a job, your first step may be to peruse job boards. While it’s a tried-and-true method, a growing number of jobs are “hidden,” as more companies move to employee referrals and professional networks for sourcing qualified candidates more quickly, according to a study by Jobvite. If you don’t… Continue Reading

Twitter will label tweets with misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines

Engadget – “Twitter has introduced new rules to prevent the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. Under the new policy, the company will label tweets with “misleading” information and ban accounts that repeatedly break the rules. Twitter had previously banned “harmful” misinformation about the vaccines, such as claims that the vaccines are harmful or… Continue Reading

Around the World in Research Guides: The Origins of the Hispanic Division Country Guides

“The Library of Congress has published many research guides and finding aids over the years, both in physical and electronic formats. The current research guides aim to provide online access to materials that engage, inspire and inform Congress and the American people. In the Hispanic Division, we are responsible for managing reference services and recommending… Continue Reading

Search for copies of your page on the web

Copyscape – “Is your content original? Articles that you purchase may have been copied or stolen from other sites. Publishing them on your site can damage your reputation and ruin your search engine rankings. Protect yourself by verifying all new content with Copyscape Premium, the web’s leading solution for originality checking. Who’s stealing your content?… Continue Reading

Window Swap

“Window Swap lets you open up a window on another part of the world.” Users submit of a view out of a window where they live – from locations around the world. Also on Instagram. Remarkably calming and you can take little visits to places (in cities, suburbs and in the countryside) around in the… Continue Reading