Sex, Violence, and Autocomplete Algorithms

There go your plans to have Google help you out with your search for boob-related things.

Fuse

Warning: This article contains explicit language.

Autocomplete is one of those modern marvels of real-time search technology that almost feels like it?s reading your mind. Thanks to analyzing and mining what millions of other users have already searched for and clicked on, Google knows that when you start typing a query with a ?d,? you?re most likely looking for a dictionary. Besides the efficiency gains of not having to type as much, suggestions can be serendipitous and educational, spurring alternative query ideas. In the process our search behavior is subtly influenced by exposure to query possibilities we may not have considered if left to ourselves.

So what happens when unsavory things, perhaps naughty or even illegal, creep into those suggestions? As a society we probably don?t want to make it easier for pedophiles to find pictures of naked children or to goad the violently predisposed with new ideas for abuse. Such suggestions get blocked and filtered?censored?for their potential to influence us.

As Google writes in its autocomplete FAQ, ?we exclude a narrow class of search queries related to pornography, violence, hate speech, and copyright infringement.? Bing, on the other hand, makes sure to ?filter spam? as well as to ?detect adult or offensive content,? according to a recent post on the Bing blog. Such human choices set the stage for broadly specifying what types of things get censored, despite Google?s claims that autocompletions are, for the most part, ?algorithmically determined ? without any human intervention.?

What exactly are the boundaries and editorial criteria of that censorship, and how do they differ among search engines? More importantly, what kinds of mistakes do these algorithms make in applying their editorial criteria? To answer these questions, I automatically gathered autosuggest results from hundreds of queries related to sex and violence in an effort to find those that are surprising or deviant. (See my blog for the methodological detail.) The results aren?t always pretty.

Armed with a list of 110 sex-related words, gathered from the linguistic extremes of both academic linguists and that tome of slang the Urban Dictionary, I first sought to understand which words resulted in zero suggestions (which likely means the word is blocked). In the following diagram, you can see words blocked only by Google or Bing, and by both or neither. For example, both algorithms think ?prostitute? is just dandy, suggesting options for prostitute ?phone numbers? or ?websites.? They?re not about sexual deprivation: Bing is happy to complete searches for ?masturbate? and ?hand job.? Conspicuously, Bing does block query suggestions for ?homosexual,? raising the question: Is there such a thing as a gay-friendly search engine? In response, a Microsoft spokesperson commented that, ?Sometimes seemingly benign queries can lead to adult content,? and consequently are filtered from autosuggest. By that logic, it would seem that ?homosexual? merely leads to ?too much? adult content, causing the algorithm to flag and filter it.

Initially it would appear Google is stricter, blocking more sex-related words than Bing. But really they just have different strategies. Instead of outright blocking all suggestions for ?dick? as Google does, Bing will just scrub the suggestions so you only see the clean ones, like ?dick?s sporting goods.? Sometimes Bing will rewrite the query, pretending a dirty word was a typo instead. For instance, querying for ?fingering? leads to wholesome dinner suggestions for ?fingerling potato recipes,? and searching for ?jizz? offers suggestions on ?jazz,? for the musically minded searcher, of course. Both algorithms are pretty good about letting through more clinical terminology, such as ?vaginas,? ?nipples,? or ?penises.?

For something like child pornography, the legal stakes get much higher. According to Ian Brown and Christopher Marsden in their book Regulating Code, ?Many governments impose some censorship in their jurisdiction according to content that is illegal under national laws.? So it?s not entirely surprising that, in order to head off more direct government intervention, corporations like Google and Microsoft self-regulate by trying to scrub their autocomplete results clean of suggestions that lead to child pornography.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/08/words_banned_from_bing_and_google_s_autocomplete_algorithms.html

school closings ariana grande gonzaga lyme disease temple university palm sunday Kids Choice Awards 2013

Total War: Rome II Gameplay Demo

Evan and T.J. recently sat down with Creative Assembly?s Al Bickham for a guided tour through the battlefields of the 4th century B.C. in Total War: Rome II. We explore the campaign map with its new mechanics, and jump into a real-time battle to defend a key road to Rome. All the while, we bombard our gracious host with questions about the new face of Total War.

Be sure to check out the new trailer for Rome II and our breakdown of the army tradition system.

Source: http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/01/total-war-rome-ii-gameplay-demo/

Mexico vs USA Harmony Korine Summly Human Rights Campaign bioshock infinite smokey robinson smokey robinson

30 percent of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans have mulled suicide: survey

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Nearly one third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have contemplated suicide, according to survey results?released Wednesday, underscoring the dark depths of a mental-health crisis that has gripped the U.S. military and the American veteran community in recent years.?

In addition, 45 percent of the 4,000-plus survey respondents said they know of an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who has attempted suicide, reports the group behind the poll, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) ? the largest advocacy organization for men and women who served in the wars, representing about younger 170,000 veterans. Some 2.2 million Americans have been deployed to those countries. ?

"That 30 percent have considered suicide is a high number. But what I look at from the survey is: We have 43 percent of the respondents saying that they are not seeking mental-health care because of a perceived negative impact to their career," said?Jason Hansman, an Iraq veteran and now senior program manager for health at IAVA. ?

"Also, 80 percent of the?respondents?say they don't think the veterans are getting the care that they need. That speaks to the collective mental health of this community," Hansman added.?

Two of the most common post-war themes haunting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans include the massive disability-benefits backlog within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ? the entity designated to handle their health care ? and the estimated?20 percent?of those veterans who are struggling with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.?

The Army, the branch with the largest portion of combat troops, reported July 18 that 134 soldiers ? including active-duty members, reserves and those in the National Guard ? had committed "potential" suicide through the end of May. (Some of those deaths remain under investigation and await official designation).

More stunning: The Army's suicide pace far outstrips the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan (52) through May: according to iCasualties.org, which tracks deaths in that war.

What's equally troubling to suicide-prevention experts is the high rate veterans who have mulled suicide while skipping treatment due to stigma, career fears or VA frustrations.?

"That number (30 percent) is higher than we should ever tolerate," said Alan L. Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). The organization strives to better understand and prevent suicide.

"As a society, we have to be concerned and it demands a response that is geared toward doing all possible to prevent thoughts from turning into action," Berman said.?

By contrast, 3.3 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 18 has considered suicide during the past 12 months, and 13.5 percent of American adults has weighed the option of killing themselves during their lifetime, according to two AAS studies that each involved about 5,000 participants. (Berman cautioned that comparing the suicide-ideation rate among veterans with that of the general population is tricky math given that most people who served in the recent wars tend to be under age 40 and suicide rates are higher among younger people).?

The good news, however, is that those 30 percent of veterans who acknowledged contemplating suicide are still alive, Hansman said.?

"Certainly, there's something stopping them from taking their life. That's due to education that organizations like IAVA are doing, and the education that the VA is doing to (promote) the veteran crisis hotline, where the number of calls has risen year-over-year and month-over-month," Hansman added.?

Still, only 37 percent of the ex-service members polled said they would call the VA's veteran crisis line ? 800-273-TALK (8255) ? if they were feeling suicidal.

"They don't want to say they're suicidal to a government hotline. Now, we know how that hotline runs. We trust it completely (in terms of) keeping veteran information confidential, how it will not get back into their service record or hurt their career," Hansman said. ?"But there is still that anxiety around talking to the VA or talking to the DOD about your issues."

Inside the military, there's also an old stigma that seeking mental-health help is a sign of weakness ? a sentiment both the VA and Pentagon are working to shatter.?

"It's not overt. Your commander is not telling you: 'Don't go to mental health (services) because you're going to hurt your career.' It's just something that gets passed down (from other troops)," Hansman said. "Everyone carries around a horror story, whether it's true or not, about a guy or girl they know that sought mental health help and their career was over.

"It's entrenched in the military but it's something that can be changed," he added. "Stigma can be overcome. It's going to take a lot of work. But I think we, as a nation, should be up to the task."

?

?

?

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/2f673307/sc/39/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C310C197956130E30A0Epercent0Eof0Eiraq0Eafghanistan0Eveterans0Ehave0Emulled0Esuicide0Esurvey0Dlite/story01.htm

ron paul Cnn Electoral Map roseanne barr guy fawkes gary johnson gary johnson where do i vote

Vegas casino seeking Britney Spears residency

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? After weeks of speculation, Caesars Entertainment is confirming that it's trying to lure Britney Spears to Las Vegas for a recurring gig at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

Spokeswoman Emily Wofford said Friday the company is in negotiations to install the pop princess on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 31-year-old "Scream & Shout" singer stoked residency rumors last week by responding with a "Viva Las Vegas" hashtag to a post from her dog's Twitter account asking if puppies can gamble in Sin City.

Spears left her position on the television singing contest "The X Factor" in January, telling fans she wanted to refocus on her music.

Caesars Entertainment currently is promoting residencies by singers Cee Lo Green at Planet Hollywood and Shania Twain at Caesars Palace.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vegas-casino-seeking-britney-spears-residency-190232326.html

BestBuy.com Kohls Black Friday www.walmart.com Macho Camacho Rise of the Guardians Pumpkin Pie Jack Taylor

Eye-catching rickshaws promote peace in Pakistan

Fareed Khan / AP

A rickshaw driver, his vehicle adorned with a message of peace, makes his way through the slums of Karachi, Pakistan on Feb. 2, 2013.

By Sebastian Abbot, The Associated Press

Published at 5:23 a.m. ET:?KARACHI, Pakistan?? Pakistani youth leader Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi has a plan to counter the relentless message of violence spewed forth by radical Islamic groups in his country ? and he is stealing a gimmick from the hard-liners' own playbook to do it.

His weapon: the three-wheeled motorized rickshaws that buzz along Pakistan's streets carrying paying customers.

Fareed Khan / AP

Artists prepare colorful panels for rickshaws in Karachi on Feb. 2, 2013.

Radical Islamists have long used the rickshaws as a canvas to display slogans in support of religious warfare in neighboring India and Afghanistan and to foster hatred against the United States.

Zaidi is turning that strategy on its head with a fleet of rickshaws emblazoned with peace slogans and decorated with colorful designs similar to those found on many trucks and buses in the country. Read the full story.

Source: http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/08/16895999-eye-catching-rickshaws-promote-peace-in-pakistan?lite

mary kay ash tiny houses maya angelou joan of arc tony robbins bon iver abraham lincoln vampire hunter

Asia stocks rise as China posts big trade jump

BANGKOK (AP) ? Asian stock markets were mostly higher Friday, boosted by better-than-expected trade data from China that provided new evidence of an upswing in the world's second-largest economy.

Exports rose 25 percent in January from a year earlier, the government reported, while imports soared 28 percent. A large part of the increase was due to companies rushing to fill orders before shutting down for up to two weeks for the Lunar New Year holidays that begin Sunday.

"Seeing the underlying trend is a little difficult. Nevertheless, the data were above expectations and seem generally positive," said Moody's Analytics economist Alaistair Chan in a report.

A more accurate picture of China's trade at the beginning of the year will emerge once February's data is released, said Dariusz Kowalczyk of Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong. But he added that investors still might interpret the January figures at face value and push up stock markets.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2 percent to 23,210.96. South Korea's Kospi advanced 1 percent to 1,950.50. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6 percent to 4,966.60. Benchmarks in Singapore, mainland China and the Philippines also rose.

Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.4 percent to 11,202.47, slumping after a recent rally spurred by a weakening yen.

Some analysts believe the yen's weakness may have bottomed out. A weaker yen benefits Japan's export manufacturers because it makes their products cheaper in overseas markets.

Many stock markets across Asia, including those in mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, will be closed Monday for holidays celebrating the Lunar New Year. Hong Kong's holidays run through to Wednesday while China and Taiwan are closed all week. Japan's markets are also closed Monday.

Among individual stocks, Japan's Panasonic Corp. fell 4.8 percent while Sony Corp. plummeted 8.6 percent. South Korea's Samsung Electronics rose 3 percent. Australia's Newcrest Mining advanced 4.9 percent.

Wall Street fell Thursday as weaker earnings unnerved investors despite data suggesting that company layoffs are easing. Media conglomerate News Corp. cut its forecast for annual earnings. Sprint Nextel Corp., the third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S., lost $1.3 billion in its latest quarter as it revamped its network to take on larger competitors.

On the bright side, fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week. Applications for unemployment benefits falling 5,000 to 366,000.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 0.3 percent at 13,944.05. The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent to 1,509.4. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 percent to 3,165.13.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 27 cents to $96.10 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 79 cents to finish at $95.83 a barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3410 from $1.3401 late Thursday in New York. The dollar was down at 93.48 yen from 93.52 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-08-World%20Markets/id-280aeee95a5a436f8ac9e861b0654c94

9/11 Memorial 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike september 11 2001 september 11 2001

Fed says still determining extent of hacker breach, FBI probing

By Anne Laurent: A 9-year-old Mexican girl, under the reported name of Dafne, gave birth to a baby girl on Jan. 27, 2013 in Jalisco, Mexico. Both mother and child are at home and healthy, Dr. Enrique Rabago, director of Zapopan Hospital, said at a...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-says-still-determining-extent-hacker-breach-fbi-222759171.html

pink slime eagle cam trayvon martin case affordable care act the line us soccer bobby brown arrested