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YOUR SENSES OF MEMORY, IDENTITY AND PRIVACY WILL BE VASTLY ALTERED, AND YOU WILL SCARCELY NOTICE IT HAPPENING.
January 25, 2009
December 23, 2008
November 12, 2008
October 20, 2008
" We are truth mongers. We are the destroyers of spin." - SpinSpotter
" If you don’t trust the news media, what are your options? You can fume about bias, wonder what you’re missing and suppress the urge to throw things.
But what if there were a device that objectively flagged questionable elements in online news articles, poking and parsing words and phrases, and letting you contribute your own critiques? Well, a Seattle company called SpinSpotter has produced a piece of software — a free download that works within a Web browser — that tries to do just that." - Read rest of article from The New York Times
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Quote from SpinSpotter
The Seven Deadly Spins.
We consider these the cardinal transgressions. The ones that poison the cool, clear drinking water of democracy. The neat thing about SpinSpotter is the ability to filter and identify the presence of spin in any news article, web site, press release, or thinly disguised political talk sheet.
With the guidance of our Journalism Advisory Board, and with the ongoing input of our users, we’ll continually refine our algorithms and spin-catching skills. We invite you to take a deeper, detailed look at specific daily examples of spin at Spin In Action.
Reporter’s Voice
Definition: The reporter employs language (in the form of adjectives, adverbs, verbs, or superlatives) that conveys meaning beyond the supporting evidence provided in the article, and begs the question: In whose opinion and by what objective standard?
Example: In the most hotly debated (superlative) campaign in years, Senator Obama delivered a soaring, inspirational (adjective) speech, while Senator John McCain, slowly (adverb) responded with a far less-eloquent (adjective) address, as he mightily (adverb) struggled (verb) to find a clear voice for his so-called "straight talk express."
Inaccurate Information
Definition: The reporter states something that is factually incorrect or misleading.
Example: The Artic National Wildlife REfuge (ANWAR) has the capacity to prodeuct 25% of the oil consumed in the U.S. each day. (SpinSpotter context: According to U.S. DOE estimates, ANWAR production would peak at 2%-7% of the oil consumed in the U.S. each day.)
Passive Voice
Definition: The reporter employs language in which the subject of the sentence receives the action instead of performing the action; often used as a way to avoid drawing attention to the person or entity that performed the action, and leaving the reader to ask, “Who did that?”
Example: Five people were killed by rockets in Israel last night.
Biased Source
Definition: The reporter quotes a source that has a definable point of view, or works for an organization with a clear point of view, but the reporter does not disclose the source’s view or affiliations.
Example: Filmmaker and political analyst Michael Moore, a registered independent, says Senator John McCain represents a “third Bush term.”
Disregarded Context
Definition: The reporter places emphasis on one part of an event without giving equal weight to the full aspect of what happened.
Example: Senator John McCain received a glowing welcome from a massive crowd, estimated at over 70,000 people. (SpinSpotter context: Senator McCain's speech followed a free concert by Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, and Kid Rock.)
Selective Disclosure
Definition: The reporter fails to mention a critical element of the story.
Example: Seven Die in Church Shooting: A lone gunman shot and killed six worshippers in a local church before turning the gun on himself. (SPINSPOTTER disclosure: A retired police officer shot the gunman before the gunman killed himself.)
Lack of Balance
Definition: The reporter fails to give equal voice to both sides, or all sides, of a controversial story.
In addition to the Seven Deadly Spins, SpinSpotter also keeps an eye out for press releases masquerading as news. If a reporter reprints, in whole or in part, a press release (a packaged announcement from a political campaign, corporation, or advocacy group) as if it were a news story, or fails to sufficiently validate and/or edit a press release before using it as the basis for a news story. SpinSpotter will automatically generate an article-level Spin Marker alerting the reader.
October 12, 2008
October 09, 2008
COMPULSION TO CONNECT?
source (adapted) download the questionnaire
If you are worried that you, or a friend might be addicted to Facebook, answer this questionnaire, HONESTLY. If you score above 80 - acknowledge that you have a problem and immediately seek help from a parent, family doctor, teacher or counsellor.
"The Facebook Addiction Test (FAT) is the first validated and reliable measure of addictive use of the Facebook."
Answer the following questions using this scale:
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally.
3 = Frequently.
4 = Often.
5 = Always.
0 = Does Not Apply
1. How often do you find that you stay on Facebook longer than you intended?
2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time on Facebook?
3. How often do you prefer the excitement of the Facebook to face-to-face friends?
4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow Facebook users?
5. How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend Facebook?
6. How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend on Facebook?
7. How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?
8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of Facebook?
9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do on Facebook?
10. How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Facebook
11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go on Facebook again?
12. How often do you fear that life without Facebook would be boring, empty, and joyless?
13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are Facebook?
14. How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins
15. How often do you feel preoccupied with the Facebook when off-line, or fantasize about being on Facebook?
16. How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when on Facebook
17. How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend Facebook and fail?
18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been on Facebook
19. How often do you choose to spend more time Facebook over going out with others?
20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, which goes away once you are back on Facebook?
Results: add up your score
After you've answered all the questions, add the numbers you selected for each response to obtain a final score. The higher your score, the greater the problem your Facebook usage causes. Here's a general scale to help measure your score:
20 - 49 points: You are an average Facebook user. You may surf Facebook a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.
50 -79 points: You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of Facebook. You should consider their full impact on your life.
80 - 100 points: Your Facebook usage is causing significant problems in your life. You should evaluate the impact of Facebook on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Facebook usage.
October 08, 2008
PAPER - SCREEN - READING
FLIPPING THE PAGES ON A SCREEN IS FRUSTRATING.
THAT DUMB MACHINE THAT SHOWS ONLY ONE PAGE AT A TIME.
PICK UP A SEWN BOOK AND LEAF THROUGH 378 SCREENS BETWEEN PALM AND FINGER.
THE PAPER IS WARM TO THE TOUCH - AND YOU CAN FLIP TO THE END TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS...OR JUST PAUSE.
photo:clarita@morguefile
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- " We are truth mongers. We are the destroyers of spin." - SpinSpotter
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- COMPULSION TO CONNECT?
- PAPER - SCREEN - READING
