Prince Harry Asks Internet Trolls and Tabloids to Lay Off His Girlfriend
UncategorizedPrince Harry Asks Internet Trolls and Tabloids to Lay Off His Girlfriend Last week, British tabloids, particularly The Sun and Daily Mail, angered Prince Harry enough to issue a public statement about their treatment of his relationship with U.S. actress Meghan Markle. On November 8, the Kensington…
When It Comes to Bullying, Some Safety Nets Have Gaping Holes
UncategorizedWhen It Comes to Bullying, Some Safety Nets Have Gaping Holes As much as we try to protect kids from the effects of bullying, some still fall through the safety nets we place underneath them. The latest illustration is Bethany Thompson, an 11-year-old cancer survivor from Ohio. At the age of…
Facebook Removes Swedish Cancer Society Breast Exam Images
UncategorizedFacebook Removes Swedish Cancer Society Breast Exam Images As reported in The Guardian last week, Facebook removed a video posted by The Swedish Cancer Society which illustrated how to perform breast exams. Facebook said the video, which used concentric pink and red circles for breasts, was offensive…
25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media
Uncategorized25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media A recent survey by the Angus Reid Public Interest Research Institute found that one-fourth of Canadians are subjected to “unwelcome comments, vicious insults, threats of violence, or worse,” with the bulk of abuse coming from Facebook and Twitter. …
After School, Kids Use “After School” to Cyberbully Each Other Anonymously
UncategorizedAfter School, Kids Use “After School” to Cyberbully Each Other Anonymously When the last bell of the day rings, many high-school-age kids grab their smart phones and launch the After School app, which takes them to a place its developers call, “a positive and safe place to share and connect…
Amazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers
UncategorizedAmazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers Last week, Amazon ended it years-old policy of hooking up its reviewers with free or deeply discounted products, which many had complained skewed the ratings into more positive numbers of stars, causing them to appear further towards the top of ratings lists…
More Misguided Online Moderation: YouTube Heroes
UncategorizedMore Misguided Online Moderation: YouTube Heroes Two weeks ago, YouTube introduced a new program that enables volunteers to moderate site content. The program, called “YouTube Heroes,” allows content creators to earn points when they caption, flag, or report videos that violate the YouTube Terms…
Should Debate Moderators Be Fact-Checkers or Facilitators?
UncategorizedShould Debate Moderators Be Fact-Checkers or Facilitators? Tonight’s presidential debate will draw a record number of viewers who will focus attention on the moderation team just as much as it will on the candidates. The team, Anderson Cooper of CNN, Lester Holt of NBC, Martha Raddatz of ABC and…
Moderation Solves Trolling Issues on News Sites
UncategorizedModeration Solves Trolling Issues on News Sites Due to continuing issues with spammers, trolls, and others intent on disrupting online interaction, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Week, and, most recently, NPR have removed the ability for users of their websites to post comments. Last week, the Suffolk…
USA Olympic Gymnast Faces Social Media Criticism for Performance, Conduct
UncategorizedUSA Olympic Gymnast Faces Social Media Criticism for Performance, Conduct What a difference four years makes. In the 2012 London Olympics, USA gymnast Gabby Douglas was a standout, leading her team to a gold medal in the team event (competing in all four apparatus events), as well as winning a gold…
