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Daily Archives: June 21, 2022

Reddit Has Hidden Search Tools

Lifehacker – Reddit’s search might be terrible, but you can make it better. “Reddit is an invaluable internet community, but when it comes to search, it’s far from perfect. This network of communities is full of useful information, on-point memes, and interesting debates, but trying to find the specific content you’re looking for is far more difficult than it should be (so much so that many users have taken to simply Googling their issue and adding the word “Reddit.”) But Reddit’s search can be more accurate and useful, if you know how to unlock its potential. Yes, the Google method does work—especially if you add “site:reddit.com” to the begging of your query—but taking advantage of Reddit’s advanced search filters will make your on-site searches more productive, too. The tricks are similar to the ones you can use wit Google to yield better search results, so perhaps a refresher is in order…”

See also via How to Geek – How to Search Reddit More Effectively – Reddit is essentially a fusion of a wide variety of internet resources. It’s like a combination of social media and the BBS/Usenet/forum discussions that used to be prevalent in the early days of the internet (except all fused together into one mega directory). It’s an absolutely massive platform that includes discussion focused on everything from breaking news to incredible niche hobbies. Don’t get us wrong: There is a lot of dumb (and even awful/objectionable) content on Reddit, but there’s also home to a huge amount of helpful user-generated content. From identifying what plants are growing in the flower beds of your new home to figuring out what the obscure error code your 3D printer is throwing out means, there’s a good chance you can use Reddit to do it. In fact, the habit of leaning on Reddit for organic human-driven answers has become so widespread that people have taken to appending their Google search results with the word “reddit” to help filter regular Google search results…”

Facebook Is Receiving Sensitive Medical Information from Hospital Websites

The Markup: “A tracking tool installed on many hospitals’ websites has been collecting patients’ sensitive health information—including details about their medical conditions, prescriptions, and doctor’s appointments—and sending it to Facebook. The Markup tested the websites of Newsweek’s top 100 hospitals in America. On 33 of them we found the tracker, called the Meta Pixel, sending… Continue Reading

Google News gets more personal with desktop redesign

The Verge: “Google News has been given a fresh lick of paint for desktop users on its 20th birthday, with a redesign that gives more prominence to local news and personalized content. Users can now more easily customize the topics they’re shown by hitting the blue “customize” button in the right hand column (it appears… Continue Reading

Could TikTok Be A Search Engine? For Many Users, It Already Is

Search Engine Journal: “A new generation of web users is utilizing TikTok as a search engine. What does that mean for marketers and publishers?…The growing use of TikTok as a search engine stems from several factors: Short attention spans Unsatisfactory Google results Visual learning styles..” Continue Reading

What Makes Data Personal?

Montagnani, Maria Lillà and Verstraete, Mark, What Makes Data Personal? (June 4, 2022). UC Davis Law Review, Vol. 56, No. 3, Forthcoming 2023, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4128080 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4128080 “Personal data is an essential concept for information privacy law. Privacy’s boundaries are set by personal data: for a privacy violation to occur, personal data must… Continue Reading

The impact of technology on finance: A new eBook

VOXEU CEPR: “Recent cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as the expansion of FinTech and BigTech companies into finance, have accelerated the digitalisation of financial services. The fourth report [Download Technology and Finance, the 4th Future of Banking report, here. Darrell Duffie, Thierry Foucault, Laura Veldkamp, Xavier Vives 27 May… Continue Reading

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

Senator Chris Murphy: “Following agreement between U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) on legislative text that will allow the Senate to vote to end a three decades long logjam on gun safety legislation, Murphy released the following statement: “For decades, the anti-gun violence movement has been… Continue Reading

OCLC Files Suit Against Clarivate for Using Its WorldCat Cataloging for a New Service

Information Today NewsBreaks:  “On June 13, 2022, OCLC filed suit against Clarivate PLC and its subsidiaries, Clarivate Analytics (US) LLP, Ex Libris, and ProQuest in the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio. Claims in the suit include tortious interference with contracts and prospective business relationships and conspiracy to interfere with contracts and business… Continue Reading

New Animal Law Research Guide From the University of Toronto’s Bora Laskin Law Library

SLAW – “The University of Toronto Bora Laskin Law Library, in partnership with Professor Angela Fernandez and Animal Law Research Associate Sam Skinner, is proud to announce the launch of the Animal Law Research Guide, a resource for those researching Canadian animal law. The Animal Law Research Guide seeks to provide a collection of secondary… Continue Reading

Are blockchains decentralized? Unintended Centralities in Distributed Ledgers

A new Trail of Bits research report examines unintended centralities in distributed ledgers – “Blockchains can help push the boundaries of current technology in useful ways. However, to make good risk decisions involving exciting and innovative technologies, people need demonstrable facts that are arrived at through reproducible methods and open data. We believe the risks… Continue Reading