Hyperlinks are a powerful tool for journalists and their readers. Diving deep into the context of an article is just a click away. But hyperlinks are a double-edged sword; for all of the internet’s boundlessness, what’s found on the Web can also be modified, moved, or entirely vanished.
Month: May 2021
Links for 5/14/2021
What the ephemerality of the Web means for your hyperlinks
The fragility of the Web poses an issue for any area of work or interest that is reliant on written records. Loss of reference material, negative SEO impacts, and malicious hijacking of valuable outlinks are among the adverse effects of a broken URL. More fundamentally, it leaves articles from decades past as shells of their former selves, cut off from their original sourcing and context. And the problem goes beyond journalism. In a 2014 study, for example, researchers (including some on this team) found that nearly half of all hyperlinks in Supreme Court opinions led to content that had either changed since its original publication or disappeared from the internet.
Hosts control URLs. When they delete a URL’s content, intentionally or not, readers find an unreachable website. This often irreversible decay of Web content is commonly known as linkrot. It is similar to the related problem of content drift, or the typically unannounced changes––retractions, additions, replacement––to the content at a particular URL.
This is a HUGE problem as I work my way through the J’s Notes archives and add old content back into the site. So much of the old Internet is dead and gone. The Internet Archive has captured a lot of it, to be sure, but there are many pieces that are never to be found again. Which is a huge loss of knowledge, especially when so much is never put to print anymore, leaving it dependent on digital archiving before things are deleted or domains aren’t renewed.
Just 12 people are are behind 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms.
These figures are well-known to both researchers and the social networks. Some of them run multiple accounts across the different platforms. They often promote “natural health.” Some even sell supplements and books.
Many of the messages about the COVID-19 vaccines being widely spread online mirror what’s been said in the past about other vaccines by peddlers of health misinformation.
“It’s almost like conspiracy theory Mad Libs. They just inserted the new claims,” said John Gregory, deputy health editor at NewsGuard, which rates the credibility of news sites and has done its own tracking of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation “superspreaders.”
From the Archives:
Sixteen years ago the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote an article on this newfangled “blogging” thing and asked for my input, which I happily shared. Then the world opened up and a slew of other bloggers chimed in, which introduced a lot of folks to each other and helped spawn some great conversations and communities through the years.
Times-Dispatch on Blogging (4/30/2005)
RTD Blogging Follow-Up (5/1/2005)
Blog Elitism (5/1/2005)
Even More On That Blog Article (5/2/2005)
Somewhat Relevant To This Weekend’s Blogging (5/2/2005)
(Note: Not all links are currently working at the moment, need to do the whole Internet Archive linking thing.)
Chatting with Real Talk Ryan Jespersen
I was interviewed by Canada again this week, only this time they actually went beyond the “isn’t it funny you share a name with someone more famous than you?” line of questioning and asked about politics. And the floodgates were opened. Along with a healthy dose of “ums” and the usual long-windedness.
Thanks to Ryan Jespersen for having me on, was a fun chat. Probably a lot deeper than anyone expected, but hopefully still worthwhile.
On The New CDC COVID Guidelines And Not Being A Jerk
On Thursday the CDC released new guidance that says fully vaccinated folks can begin to go about business as normal sans mask.
Of course, there are still local, state, and building based rules and ordinances to follow, but this is a good sign that we’re starting to come out of this. Hooray!
And, of course, because we can’t all be adults, there are people who are eager to strip off their masks despite being unvaccinated and dare people to say anything or ask for their “vaccine passport” (which they’re all too happy to share how to counterfeit) or so they can bully anyone else they see in public wearing as mask. Because, you know, being a jerk is cool or something.
So file this under “I can’t believe this has to be said” but allow me to submit the following:
If you see someone wearing a mask in a situation where you don’t think they’re necessary, mind your own business and move along. They’re not hurting anyone.
But, also, let’s consider this legitimate concern:
(The following is a Twitter thread I’m reposing here because I can.)
The “risk” of the new CDC guidelines is that it relies heavily on personal responsibility and the honor system – if you aren’t vaccinated you should still wear a mask but there’s no way to regulate or enforce so we have to take it on faith.
Sure, there are going to be people who are unvaccinated who take advantage of these lax rules and throw their masks away. They might even identify themselves by being the first to mock anyone who is still wearing a mask.
Don’t be that guy. Get the shot(s), it’s readily available.
If you still want to wear a mask despite being vaccinated that’s fine and understandable. It’s going to take a while to reset from the last 15 months.
But also keep in mind the purpose of masks wasn’t to keep you safe from others but to keep others safe from you. If you’re vaccinated you’re not spreading COVID. You’re now part of the solution.
Ultimately, be safe. Do what you feel you need to do to be safe. And don’t be a jerk to others about it.
Original Twitter thread
Of course, the moment I share this there’s that ONE troll that shows up:
This ain’t over yet. The new guidelines are a great sign, but they rely heavily on a responsible public being, well, responsible. And I’d like to believe we can do that. But if the last 15 months have proven anything…
Books Off My Shelves III (ARC Edition)
From the age of 18 to 33 I spent about 12 years working in bookstores – a Borders in my hometown of Fredericksburg, VA and a college bookstore in Richmond, VA after I moved down here to finally finish school at VCU.
The Borders years in particular (1997-2001) were very formative not just for a growing-into-adulthood Jay but also in my interests in music and books and the subsequent collections because it’s hard not to take advantage of a generous employee discount and put all of your money back into the biz when you don’t have much in the way of bills. Most of my existing library and boxed up CD collection is a consequence of these years.
Borders also provided an opportunity to discover new works thanks to review copies of books and CDs that allowed us booksellers to be informed and upsell certain works (mainly the books – most of my review copies of CDs would come from the college radio years at WVCW (2005-2008)). In some cases those books were entirely new authors (to me or anyone else), in others it was a way to get my hands on the newest book of a favorite author before anyone else. Only a handful of these Advance Review Copies (ARC) remained in the library all these years later but they remain as little memories of those halcyon days of being young and carefree and stuff.
Previous entries:
May the 4th Be With You
Director’s Cut of the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Joel Gallen, who directed and produced the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame broadcast, has shared a re-edited version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” featuring Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison — and, of course, Prince and THAT solo.
17 years after this stunning performance by Prince, I finally had the chance to go in and re-edit it slightly – since there were several shots that were bothering me. I got rid of all the dissolves and made them all cuts, and added lots more close ups of Prince during his solo. I think it’s better now. Let me know what you think. Joel.
It’s better now, Joel. Well done.
