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Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

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Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because so few people know about it, "reputation managers" are charging people like $500 a pop to "remove damaging information from Google results." And ALL THEY DO is fill out that form for free. Someone tried to hawk this service to my husband after he came under attack. While that sounds like a high price, and you usually don't want to just hire the first person you see advertise a service, the concept of specia…

I would say that the difference between your example and these reputation managers is that they are often themselves directly responsible for the problems they create: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/24/technology/on... I guess this is more analogous to flipping someone’s breakers in their house and then charging them to flip them back on.

Hi is that the true you need to do a better job then the one you are doing now

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#242
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google always errs on the side of left wing political platform Reminds me that yesterday I tried googling around the topic of how covid affects fertility (eg. "covid fertility") and nearly every result that comes back is about vaccines not affecting fertility. Okay, thanks Google, but how about the actual disease? Results were a fair bit more relevant by adding "disease" to the query, but still got one or two about…

Perhaps much of it is not ideological on Google's part but actually simply the machine learning about what people want to see. It's entirely possible that such a disproportionate number of persons is more likely to access links about vaccines and such politics than what you searched for that the machine, not the man, has elected to favor those without having any real political motive.

That did cross my mind. If it's actually due to that, then Google is just going to become increasingly terrible & always directing you to the most searched thing.

Covid side effects -> covid vaccine side effects

Best burgers -> McDonald's

Best coffee -> Starbucks

Best way to sort a list -> bubble sort

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#243
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty good with electrical diagrams and such, and I know exactly what one needs to do to stay about as safe as one can. I've fished (ethernet) wires before. I still hire electricians, because it's the only practical way to buy electrician's insurance for a project. I know a retired electrician. He hires electricians for anything nontrivial, for the insurance. That said your broader point has a lot of merit. I hi…

Here in NZ, a lot of work on your own property is legal - even some relatively complicated stuff - but the catch is that you need to find a qualified inspector to sign off on it. The reality is that unless someone knows you and your work personally (friend, relative, w/e) it can be really difficult to find an inspector who is willing to sign off on some random persons work as there is a liability component (nowhere n…

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in NZ, a lot of work on your own property is legal - even some relatively complicated stuff - but the catch is that you need to find a qualified inspector to sign off on it. The reality is that unless someone knows you and your work personally (friend, relative, w/e) it can be really difficult to find an inspector who is willing to sign off on some random persons work as there is a liability component (nowhere n…

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

The prior owner of my house was very free with his exposed wire nuts and other sketchy wiring practices then. I’ll take some level of safety that my house won’t burn down or electrocute me over absolute freedom.

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in NZ, a lot of work on your own property is legal - even some relatively complicated stuff - but the catch is that you need to find a qualified inspector to sign off on it. The reality is that unless someone knows you and your work personally (friend, relative, w/e) it can be really difficult to find an inspector who is willing to sign off on some random persons work as there is a liability component (nowhere n…

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

You can do anything you want on your own property, but if said property burns down because of incorrect electrical work you did yourself, you might not get money from your insurance...

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in NZ, a lot of work on your own property is legal - even some relatively complicated stuff - but the catch is that you need to find a qualified inspector to sign off on it. The reality is that unless someone knows you and your work personally (friend, relative, w/e) it can be really difficult to find an inspector who is willing to sign off on some random persons work as there is a liability component (nowhere n…

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

Or they are just needed to ensure you are not accidentally making a future giant « why would I need a fuse here ? » barbecue that you may possibly sell to another person.

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Then again, electrical work can be life threatening, so the potential damage is rather high. As a DIYer, I was shocked to find what the previously hired professional electrician left for me: a secondary panel for the whole structure that controls exactly one outlet. The sub panel was apparently not fed from the main panel, but rather from a panel in a different building, so simply switching the main breaker of the…

The GCFI probably saved your life. This is why you always test an outlet with a lightbulb before doing electrical work.

Make sure to test that the light bulb works. Or use a tool designed to test for power. And then make sure it works.

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#248
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google always errs on the side of left wing political platform Reminds me that yesterday I tried googling around the topic of how covid affects fertility (eg. "covid fertility") and nearly every result that comes back is about vaccines not affecting fertility. Okay, thanks Google, but how about the actual disease? Results were a fair bit more relevant by adding "disease" to the query, but still got one or two about…

Perfect example. Had the exact aame experience. As someone who leans more right wing, I call it left skewed, but yes you are right it is not necessarily purely left aligned, or even at all. It feels like just any controversial opinion just gets obliterated by their ranking algorithm (in the case if covid I would bet a million dollars there was manual intervention in the name of public health tho)

But in this case they're transforming a concern about covid into a concern about the covid vaccine. Doesn't even make sense in the name of public health.

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in NZ, a lot of work on your own property is legal - even some relatively complicated stuff - but the catch is that you need to find a qualified inspector to sign off on it. The reality is that unless someone knows you and your work personally (friend, relative, w/e) it can be really difficult to find an inspector who is willing to sign off on some random persons work as there is a liability component (nowhere n…

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

What "freedoms"? That term is used everywhere and rarely defined well. The freedom to "do what you want with your own property"? That doesn't exist - anywhere! You need to follow the rules and the only way to make sure someone is doing things properly (or at least know how to) is either to have them be certified in what they do or have someone who is certified check their work.

If you screw up your electrical wiring, your house can catch fire. If a house is on fire, the neighboring houses are rather likely to also catch fire. Once you have a handful of houses on fire, all bets are off - the entire neighbourhood might burn. Still think you should have that "freedom"?

Re: Few people know that Google voluntarily removes some search results

#250
post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

laws requiring a third party to sign off on things you can do to your own property sounds like a violation of freedoms

You can do anything you want on your own property, but if said property burns down because of incorrect electrical work you did yourself, you might not get money from your insurance...

Where is this notion of "you can do anything on your property" coming from? A similar one is also "it's my car, I'll do what I want with it", etc. But all modification to both your house anr your car have a big possibility of puttinf others in danger. If you mod your car in a dangerous way or screw up your house electrical wiring, other unrelated people may get hurt - you don't have the right to do that!
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