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TexasTowelie

(112,252 posts)
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:04 PM Jul 2017

New Google algorithm restricts access to left-wing, progressive web sites

In the three months since Internet monopoly Google announced plans to keep users from accessing “fake news,” the global traffic rankings of a broad range of left-wing, progressive, anti-war and democratic rights organizations have fallen significantly.

On April 25, 2017, Google announced that it had implemented changes to its search service to make it harder for users to access what it called “low-quality” information such as “conspiracy theories” and “fake news.”

The company said in a blog post that the central purpose of the change to its search algorithm was to give the search giant greater control in identifying content deemed objectionable by its guidelines. It declared that it had “improved our evaluation methods and made algorithmic updates” in order “to surface more authoritative content.”

Google continued, “Last month, we updated our Search Quality Rater Guidelines to provide more detailed examples of low-quality webpages for raters to appropriately flag.” These moderators are instructed to flag “upsetting user experiences,” including pages that present “conspiracy theories,” unless “the query clearly indicates the user is seeking an alternative viewpoint.”

Read more: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/07/27/goog-j27.html#pk_campaign=sidebar&pk_kwd=mostread

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New Google algorithm restricts access to left-wing, progressive web sites (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jul 2017 OP
If google works against us, we are done for good Eliot Rosewater Jul 2017 #1
We're losing the war on truth njhoneybadger Jul 2017 #4
Google is not working against you. Egnever Jul 2017 #15
You don't get rid of fake news through censorship defacto7 Jul 2017 #2
It's impossible to educate people on every topic others with an agenda marybourg Jul 2017 #8
Understood defacto7 Jul 2017 #16
This exactly! Egnever Jul 2017 #19
Echoes of Orwell Raastan Jul 2017 #3
Except this is fake news Egnever Jul 2017 #11
Whew! Good to know! Raastan Jul 2017 #14
Doesn't matter. It's an excellent exercise. defacto7 Jul 2017 #17
Absolutely Egnever Jul 2017 #20
I think one of these "tripping the cow" posts defacto7 Jul 2017 #21
Search engines cannot restrict access. Towlie Jul 2017 #5
Toward more authoritative content. defacto7 Jul 2017 #7
Suppressing fake news, whether on the right OR on the left, marybourg Jul 2017 #6
First line in the article should clue people in that this is garbage Egnever Jul 2017 #13
Haha this article brought to you by ....Fake news Egnever Jul 2017 #9
+1 grantcart Jul 2017 #18
Corporate America won't allow the masses to hear the truth. lpbk2713 Jul 2017 #10
Oh good lord Egnever Jul 2017 #12
The World Sociliat website? Wtf? JDC Jul 2017 #22
Perhaps wsws is worried that their content falls within the domain of "fake news." Like this article TheBlackAdder Jul 2017 #23

njhoneybadger

(3,910 posts)
4. We're losing the war on truth
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:15 PM
Jul 2017

trumps regime and republicans love Putin's tactics and want to emulate all of them

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
15. Google is not working against you.
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:33 PM
Jul 2017

unless you work for say the world socialist website..which is where this goofy article came from.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
2. You don't get rid of fake news through censorship
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:12 PM
Jul 2017

You get rid of it through education.

But learning is so hard to do.

marybourg

(12,633 posts)
8. It's impossible to educate people on every topic others with an agenda
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:22 PM
Jul 2017

will wish to bring to the fore. We can be educated on where to find "alternative facts" if we wish to seek them out.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
16. Understood
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:37 PM
Jul 2017

But I'm not saying it's a realistic task, I am saying it's the only way we can overcome it. If education is undermined, facts become whatever anyone wants them to be. If people don't learn to decern facts from fiction through educating their decernment process, alt-facts will thrive. If we trust some "authority" to tell us or teach us what is fact, we are not learning... we are not becoming educated... we become pawns for whoever controls the message.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
19. This exactly!
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:42 PM
Jul 2017

This thread is exactly what you are talking about.

This is an article from world socialist website....Yet many on this thread fell for this ridiculous article as if they are scooping all the tech sites on the planet.

Believe me if google was filtering websites purely based on political ideology WSW would not be the ones breaking that news.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
20. Absolutely
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:47 PM
Jul 2017

You should not rely on any news site to give you the truth. There is bias in everything conscious or not. The TPP fiasco is a perfect example. The coverage from "Trusted" news sources on what the TPP does and does not do was atrocious. Most of the coverage was based on other coverage that was wrong in the first place.

There is a ton of lazy journalism out there these days. You need to be careful and discerning any time you read anything.

Hell the NYT carried water for the bush admin in the lead up to the gulf war and they are a "trusted" news source. If we lose our ability or willingness to think for ourselves we are done.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
21. I think one of these "tripping the cow" posts
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 07:43 PM
Jul 2017

every once in a while is a good idea. If there were good writers that could try to troll us "with the best intentions of course" it could actually be a great learning tool. Not that there isn't already plenty of ready made alt-facts, but if it's played well, not humorous with a gotcha end, it could be good practice in the art of proofing our news.

Towlie

(5,324 posts)
5. Search engines cannot restrict access.
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:18 PM
Jul 2017

All Google does is try its best to point people toward what they're looking for.

marybourg

(12,633 posts)
6. Suppressing fake news, whether on the right OR on the left,
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:20 PM
Jul 2017

is good, as long as people who knowingly seek it out, aware that it's not general accepted as factual, can do so. IMO, of course.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
13. First line in the article should clue people in that this is garbage
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:26 PM
Jul 2017

internet monopoly google....Google is not a monopoly they are just better than everyone else at what they do.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
9. Haha this article brought to you by ....Fake news
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:22 PM
Jul 2017

Would be hilarious if not so sad that it was posted here.

lpbk2713

(42,759 posts)
10. Corporate America won't allow the masses to hear the truth.
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:23 PM
Jul 2017



This shit is getting blatantly worse with each passing day.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
12. Oh good lord
Sun Jul 30, 2017, 06:25 PM
Jul 2017

This article is from the world socialist website.

Basically fake news. Yea they probably have no agenda.

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