25Jun

Maintaining great mental health

Wavelink June 25, 2023

Maintaining great mental health is crucial for several reasons:

Emotional well-being: Good mental health allows individuals to experience positive emotions, such as happiness, joy, and contentment. It enables them to cope effectively with life’s challenges, maintain healthy relationships, and experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Physical health: Mental and physical health are interconnected. Poor mental health can lead to a range of physical health problems, including sleep disturbances, increased susceptibility to illnesses, weakened immune system, and higher risk of chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases and obesity. On the other hand, good mental health promotes better physical well-being and overall vitality.
Cognitive function: Mental health influences cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, concentration, and problem-solving skills. When mental health is compromised, it can impair cognitive function, leading to difficulties in decision-making, learning, and productivity. Maintaining good mental health supports optimal cognitive performance and enhances overall mental acuity.
Productivity and success: A healthy mind is essential for professional success and productivity. It enables individuals to focus on tasks, handle stress effectively, and maintain motivation and creativity. Good mental health promotes better work performance, increased productivity, and the ability to set and achieve goals.
Relationships and social connections: Healthy relationships and social connections are vital for human well-being. Maintaining good mental health allows individuals to engage in meaningful relationships, communicate effectively, and build and sustain social connections. It fosters empathy, understanding, and emotional resilience, leading to healthier and more fulfilling social interactions.
Resilience and coping: Life is filled with challenges, setbacks, and stressful events. Good mental health equips individuals with the resilience and coping mechanisms to navigate these difficulties effectively. It enables them to bounce back from adversity, manage stress, and adapt to change, fostering a greater sense of control and confidence in facing life’s ups and downs.
Prevention of mental disorders: Prioritizing mental health helps prevent the development of mental disorders or mitigates their severity. Regular self-care practices, stress management techniques, seeking support when needed, and adopting healthy coping strategies contribute to preventing mental health issues from escalating and developing into more significant problems.

Remember that maintaining great mental health is an ongoing process that requires attention, self-care, and a holistic approach to well-being. It is essential to seek professional help when needed and to actively engage in practices that promote mental well-being.

Here are some methods to help avoid and manage stress:

Practice relaxation techniques: Engage in activities that promote relaxation, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques can help calm the mind and reduce stress levels.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity is known to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Find an exercise or physical activity that you enjoy, whether it’s walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, or playing a sport. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Prioritize self-care: Take time for yourself and engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. This may include reading, listening to music, taking baths, pursuing hobbies, or spending time in nature. Setting aside dedicated time for self-care helps recharge and rejuvenate your mind and body.
Maintain a balanced lifestyle: Strive for a healthy work-life balance. Establish boundaries between work and personal life, and make sure to allocate time for activities outside of work that you enjoy and that help you unwind.
Practice time management: Poor time management can lead to stress and overwhelm. Organize your tasks and priorities, set realistic goals, and break larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This approach can help you feel more in control and reduce stress associated with deadlines and time pressures.
Seek social support: Connect with family, friends, or support groups. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with trusted individuals can provide emotional support and perspective, helping to alleviate stress. Additionally, spending time with loved ones and engaging in positive social interactions can boost mood and well-being.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet, get sufficient sleep, and limit or avoid substances that can contribute to stress, such as excessive caffeine or alcohol. A healthy body supports a healthy mind and better stress management.
Practice positive thinking: Cultivate a positive mindset by challenging negative thoughts and reframing them in a more positive and realistic light. Focus on gratitude and practice self-compassion. Engaging in positive self-talk and acknowledging your accomplishments can help reduce stress and increase resilience.
Set boundaries and learn to say no: It’s important to establish boundaries in your personal and professional life. Learn to say no to commitments or requests that overwhelm you or don’t align with your priorities. Recognize that it’s okay to prioritize your well-being and not take on more than you can handle.
Seek professional help if needed: If stress becomes overwhelming or persistent, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. They can provide guidance, support, and strategies tailored to your specific situation.

Remember that different strategies work for different individuals, so it’s important to find what methods work best for you. Implementing a combination of these techniques can help you avoid stress and maintain a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

12May

TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COMPUTER’S SPEED

Wavelink May 12, 2023

Here are some ways you can improve your computer’s speed:

Uninstall unnecessary programs: Remove any programs that you no longer use or need to free up space on your hard drive.
Delete temporary files: Regularly clear your computer’s temporary files and caches to free up space and help your computer run faster.
Disable startup programs: Disable programs that start automatically when your computer boots up. This can help speed up the startup time.
Install an SSD: Installing a solid-state drive (SSD) can significantly improve your computer’s performance and speed.
Upgrade RAM: If your computer is running slow, adding more RAM can help improve its performance.
Run virus scans: Malware and viruses can slow down your computer’s speed. Regularly run virus scans to keep your computer running smoothly.
Use a disk cleanup tool: Use a disk cleanup tool to help clear up any unused files, folders, or programs that are taking up space on your hard drive.
Defragment your hard drive: Defragmenting your hard drive can help organize and optimize your files, making it easier and faster for your computer to access them.
Adjust visual effects: Adjusting visual effects such as animations, shadows, and transparency can help improve your computer’s performance and speed.
Update your operating system: Regularly update your operating system and applications to ensure that they are running efficiently and that any bugs or glitches have been resolved.

12May

Top 10 Classified Websites in Kenya

Wavelink May 12, 2023

Here are some of the top classified websites in Kenya:

Jiji.co.ke
OLX Kenya
PigiaMe
Cheki.co.ke
ZoomTanzania
Cars45 Kenya
Property24
BuyRentKenya
BrighterMonday
Advertize.co.ke

These websites allow individuals and businesses to post advertisements for products, services, jobs, and properties in various categories. Users can search for listings and contact the sellers directly through the platform.

16Mar

Voice AI and speech synthesis tools

Wavelink March 16, 2023

Voice AI and speech synthesis tools you may find interesting

Voice AIs, also known as voice assistants, use natural language processing and speech recognition technologies to interpret and respond to spoken commands and questions. These systems work by breaking down the audio input into individual sound patterns, converting them into text, and then analyzing the text to understand the user’s intent. Based on this analysis, the AI can then generate an appropriate response, either through text or speech.

Uberduck Speech Synthesis platform

Voice AIs are typically activated by a wake word or trigger phrase, such as “Hey, Siri” or “Alexa,” which signals the system to start listening for a command. Once the trigger phrase is recognized, the system begins processing the audio input, which can include interpreting the user’s intent, retrieving information from a database or web search, and generating a response.

Examples of the most common voice AIs include:

Siri: Siri is a voice AI developed by Apple and integrated into their iOS, iPadOS, and macOS operating systems. It can perform a wide range of tasks, such as setting reminders, sending messages, making phone calls, and providing information on a variety of topics.
Alexa: Alexa is an AI assistant developed by Amazon and integrated into their Echo line of smart speakers. It can perform similar tasks to Siri, such as playing music, setting alarms, and controlling smart home devices.
Google Assistant: Google Assistant is a voice AI developed by Google and available on Android devices, Google Home speakers, and other devices. It can perform a wide range of tasks, including answering questions, playing music, and controlling smart home devices.
Cortana: Cortana is a voice AI developed by Microsoft and integrated into their Windows operating system. It can perform tasks such as setting reminders, scheduling appointments, and launching applications.
Bixby: Bixby is a voice AI developed by Samsung and integrated into their Galaxy line of smartphones. It can perform a range of tasks, such as taking photos, sending messages, and controlling smart home devices.
Hound: Hound is a voice AI developed by SoundHound Inc. It is designed to provide faster and more accurate responses to complex queries, such as calculating the tip on a restaurant bill or finding a nearby hotel that allows pets.

These are just a few examples of the most common voice AIs currently available, but there are many more emerging in the market. As voice recognition and natural language processing technologies continue to advance, voice AIs are expected to become even more ubiquitous and integrated into our daily lives.

16Mar

CHat GPT, the Open AI language model revolutionizing research and technology

Wavelink March 16, 2023March 16, 2023

Chat GPT, also known as OpenAI’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, is an advanced language model that has revolutionized the field of natural language processing. As a large language model, Chat GPT can generate human-like responses to text prompts, enabling it to hold conversations and answer questions in a way that was previously impossible.

One of the most significant benefits of Chat GPT is its versatility. It can be used in a variety of contexts, including customer service, language translation, chatbots, and personal assistants. Businesses can use it to improve their customer experience by providing an instant response to inquiries, while individuals can use it to improve their productivity by automating mundane tasks such as scheduling appointments and sending reminders.

The potential applications of Chat GPT are vast, and as its capabilities continue to develop, it will become increasingly important in various fields, including healthcare, education, and finance. It has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and the world around us.

One of the most significant benefits of using Chat GPT is its ability to handle complex language tasks. Unlike traditional chatbots that rely on predefined scripts, Chat GPT can generate natural language responses that are more human-like and personalized. It can understand the context of a conversation, allowing it to provide accurate and relevant responses to users’ queries.

Another advantage of Chat GPT is that it can learn from vast amounts of data, allowing it to continuously improve its responses. It is pre-trained on a large corpus of text data, which means that it has already learned the basics of language structure, grammar, and vocabulary. This enables it to generate responses that are more fluent and coherent than those of other chatbots.

To access Chat GPT, users can interact with it through a variety of channels, including messaging platforms, web browsers, and mobile apps. OpenAI offers a free version of Chat GPT that can be accessed through its website or integrated into third-party applications. The free version has certain limitations, such as a lower response rate and a limited number of requests per month.

OpenAI also offers a premium version of Chat GPT, called GPT-3, which provides access to a more advanced and powerful version of the model. The premium version is designed for businesses and developers who require a high level of customization and control over the model’s behavior. It offers a higher response rate and an increased number of requests per month, as well as the ability to fine-tune the model for specific use cases.

To get started with Chat GPT, users can create an account on the OpenAI website and follow the instructions to integrate it into their applications. OpenAI provides extensive documentation and support for developers, including tutorials, code samples, and a community forum.

There are many things that users can do with Chat GPT, depending on their needs and preferences. For example, they can create chatbots that can handle customer inquiries, automate tasks such as scheduling appointments and sending reminders, and provide personalized recommendations based on user data. They can also use Chat GPT for language translation, sentiment analysis, and text summarization, among other tasks.

One of the most exciting applications of Chat GPT is in the field of creative writing. As a language model, Chat GPT has the ability to generate new and original text that mimics human writing styles. This opens up new possibilities for writers, who can use Chat GPT to generate story ideas, dialogue, and even entire novels. Some writers have even experimented with using Chat GPT to create collaborative writing projects, where multiple writers work together to generate a story.

Chat GPT is an advanced language model that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and the world around us. Its ability to generate human-like responses to text prompts makes it ideal

Link to OPEN AI Chat GPT

16Nov

WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE FASTEST INTERNET IN THE WORLD?

Wavelink November 16, 2022November 16, 2022

COUNTRIES WITH THE FASTEST INTERNET IN THE WORLD

when it comes to the fastest Internet speeds worldwide, Scandinavian countries are world leading. Fast download AND upload speeds are available in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway. This region ranks highly for fast Internet speeds on a consistent basis, which is not just a nice have for citizens, but also a contributing factor as to why countries like Sweden produce so many start-ups.

The USA ranks 13th for median download speeds. It is also the largest country by both population and size to perform well for download speed, over the largest testing samples. Upload speeds only measure 10.45 Mbps though.

Rank	Country	Download Speed (Mbps)	Upload Speed (Mbps)	# Download Tests	# Upload Tests	No. IPs
1	Liechtenstein	199.28	39.78	96	98	10
2	Hong Kong	112.32	91.40	4782	5589	933
3	Denmark	107.78	66.02	21495	22217	912
4	Switzerland	93.60	41.44	65614	74350	1907
5	Netherlands	93.48	27.58	89478	93970	9044
6	Sweden	91.36	86.04	20812	23875	2071
7	Iceland	80.19	24.30	314	435	55
8	Finland	79.40	18.39	9487	10395	526
9	Andorra	76.67	56.20	159	176	33
10	Bermuda	74.21	19.27	589	631	46
11	San Marino	61.89	9.76	4	3	3
12	Norway	58.95	49.73	13841	14298	2083
13	United States	54.99	10.45	1972335	2126398	364898
14	New Zealand	52.86	19.85	21053	21533	3518
15	South Korea	44.42	41.96	5215	5393	413
16	Belgium	41.68	12.47	42931	43810	6537
17	Hungary	39.85	15.35	3512	3439	903
18	Germany	37.50	9.78	144229	142519	56429
19	Barbados	34.98	17.07	352	420	110
20	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	34.40	4.48	13	10	1
21	Luxembourg	34.12	10.45	298	305	72
22	Australia	32.26	10.69	95073	99997	30367
23	Bahrain	32.05	17.64	533	463	273
24	Austria	31.70	9.43	19126	18000	5139
25	Japan	31.23	44.60	83445	82208	38954
26	Taiwan	30.58	18.14	9999	19865	753
27	Romania	28.55	25.62	2418	2682	989
28	United Kingdom	28.51	8.87	296494	316680	65332
29	Spain	28.50	25.92	76757	82229	29253
30	Republic of Lithuania	27.47	16.99	782	721	232
31	Poland	25.77	10.06	6022	6468	1608
32	Bahamas	25.07	6.86	372	363	111
33	Canada	23.66	8.82	142597	144837	30905
34	Latvia	23.28	18.39	519	1098	185
35	Saint Lucia	21.44	5.55	44	46	37
36	Greenland	21.43	85.61	59	62	10
37	Ireland	21.27	10.47	21742	20990	7491
38	Israel	20.19	3.13	4257	4636	833
39	Slovakia	19.95	9.55	2443	2574	493
40	Czechia	19.04	6.63	20694	29905	2635
41	Bulgaria	18.86	12.39	1534	1479	478
42	Belize	18.08	12.95	227	248	112
43	Papua New Guinea	17.61	1.57	11	11	11
44	Portugal	17.27	10.46	13317	14626	6238
45	New Caledonia	17.07	10.60	111	146	39
46	Estonia	16.83	22.75	694	754	145
47	Vietnam	16.39	19.21	8144	8716	6118
48	Serbia	15.21	4.42	6155	6230	3940
49	Thailand	14.90	15.01	14186	16359	10329
50	Qatar	14.27	8.83	848	1639	759
51	Italy	14.17	6.26	95366	93685	34834
52	Lesotho	14.09	4.62	14	13	7
53	U.S. Virgin Islands	13.86	4.90	152	142	43
54	Cyprus	12.92	4.97	1779	1856	541
55	Antigua and Barbuda	12.70	22.13	30	33	15
56	Trinidad and Tobago	12.28	7.02	500	600	267
57	Slovenia	12.21	8.98	971	977	258
58	France	12.10	2.89	46524	52697	18786
59	Ukraine	11.21	11.59	5070	5783	3026
60	Greece	10.88	1.50	7335	7652	2881
61	Malaysia	10.82	10.96	4279	4994	2617
62	Brunei	10.69	3.04	216	259	178
63	Croatia	10.34	3.06	1703	2015	944
64	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	9.35	4.35	42	49	24
65	Cabo Verde	9.03	1.36	17	19	16
66	Republic of Moldova	8.90	7.14	508	609	338
67	Malta	8.54	9.58	480	485	119
68	Georgia	8.10	7.16	193	230	169
69	Russia	8.06	8.83	18427	22181	9176
70	Uruguay	8.05	6.91	1002	1114	852
71	Costa Rica	8.04	2.30	3819	3991	1967
72	Bosnia and Herzegovina	8.03	1.50	937	1219	840
73	Panama	7.69	5.07	2232	2706	904
74	Mexico	7.55	1.90	102970	104889	47864
75	Grenada	7.47	2.11	82	87	20
76	Montenegro	7.22	2.93	309	426	278
77	North Macedonia	7.17	0.88	235	318	242
78	Solomon Islands	7.09	3.61	7	7	6
79	United Arab Emirates	6.76	6.01	3808	6077	2716
80	Albania	6.27	2.22	528	856	582
81	Chile	6.24	4.21	3536	5075	2419
82	Jamaica	5.94	1.88	733	808	450
83	Dominica	5.68	8.00	9	12	9
84	Turkey	5.22	0.66	9915	11150	7272
85	Saudi Arabia	5.13	2.95	8083	10995	6021
86	El Salvador	4.93	1.27	4585	4455	1970
87	Sri Lanka	4.91	2.13	304	465	329
88	Egypt	4.89	0.73	21838	23380	18998
89	Northern Mariana Islands	4.88	2.53	37	33	18
90	Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan	4.86	1.25	1291	1407	997
91	American Samoa	4.85	2.00	12	16	11
92	Brazil	4.80	3.92	265193	282153	159684
93	Cameroon	4.67	2.84	128	189	104
94	Bolivia	4.60	3.71	7754	8269	4084
95	Myanmar	4.40	5.22	1196	1537	987
96	Belarus	4.37	2.70	1340	1628	827
97	St Kitts and Nevis	4.36	1.21	95	73	22
98	Liberia	4.23	2.70	18	30	10
99	India	4.09	2.69	414725	399945	227100
100	Guatemala	3.78	1.76	8885	8766	2799
101	South Africa	3.70	2.27	40879	39240	16373
102	Morocco	3.64	0.52	23932	22783	16169
103	Nicaragua	3.64	0.93	2431	2415	1101
104	Tunisia	3.58	0.71	2988	2937	2076
105	Ecuador	3.57	3.98	22487	22953	11416
106	Kuwait	3.48	1.26	868	1574	526
107	Colombia	3.38	1.78	38424	40391	19828
108	Iraq	3.19	2.63	7801	8160	5384
109	Eswatini	2.93	0.97	83	93	57
110	Dominican Republic	2.92	0.88	5106	5318	3526
111	Oman	2.85	0.67	1870	2173	1161
112	Burkina Faso	2.80	1.02	95	116	69
113	Iran	2.74	0.60	6	7	7
114	Peru	2.68	1.99	15016	16829	8461
115	Honduras	2.64	2.17	3510	3661	1789
116	Palestine	2.32	0.55	881	849	635
117	Palau	2.28	0.50	4	5	4
118	Kyrgyzstan	2.24	1.04	138	184	139
119	Uganda	2.14	2.04	572	587	311
120	Kenya	2.10	1.97	9199	9110	3243
121	Philippines	2.05	2.31	166009	158522	59370
122	Cuba	2.01	0.20	2	2	2
123	Laos	1.99	1.93	47	57	43
124	Mongolia	1.98	1.82	71	76	42
125	Vanuatu	1.94	2.05	41	41	4
126	French Polynesia	1.92	0.48	163	168	105
127	Indonesia	1.88	1.82	91028	93531	54667
128	Zimbabwe	1.85	0.61	311	372	229
129	Mozambique	1.85	1.51	270	277	171
130	Tanzania	1.75	1.74	362	383	224
131	Nepal	1.73	3.38	10160	11797	5474
132	Niger	1.71	1.39	42	47	23
133	Guyana	1.71	0.81	563	632	347
134	Argentina	1.70	0.78	23690	26451	10732
135	Mauritius	1.62	1.91	127	171	122
136	Haiti	1.62	1.86	113	138	81
137	Paraguay	1.56	1.91	1370	1526	772
138	Seychelles	1.52	0.77	40	41	14
139	Kazakhstan	1.52	1.37	632	945	725
140	Fiji	1.50	0.67	69	69	25
141	Uzbekistan	1.49	0.62	1158	1660	1172
142	Armenia	1.46	0.88	111	168	122
143	Algeria	1.42	0.56	5007	5322	3824
144	Azerbaijan	1.37	0.60	1355	1599	1097
154	Mali	1.34	1.25	93	124	97
146	Cambodia	1.29	7.30	473	549	384
147	Angola	1.27	1.16	241	279	144
148	Gabon	1.23	0.98	136	173	117
149	Bhutan	1.22	2.47	10	9	5
150	Marshall Islands	1.19	6.22	30	33	8
151	Senegal	1.18	0.44	397	498	360
152	Nigeria	1.16	1.56	2693	2967	1409
153	Ghana	1.14	1.10	638	732	447
154	Togo	1.09	0.82	158	194	140
155	Chad	1.09	0.97	22	26	21
156	Sierra Leone	1.07	1.40	6	7	5
157	Suriname	1.05	0.69	220	240	130
158	Mauritania	1.02	0.30	85	90	64
159	Equatorial Guinea	1.01	1.13	10	11	9
160	São Tomé and Príncipe	0.98	1.27	24	25	18
161	Zambia	0.91	1.28	86	97	62
162	Pakistan	0.86	0.57	9795	13195	9141
163	Bangladesh	0.86	2.65	23702	27739	8293
164	Rwanda	0.81	1.03	78	41	26
165	Libya	0.75	0.63	592	691	452
166	Djibouti	0.75	0.26	19	30	21
167	Lebanon	0.74	0.92	1778	2556	1305
168	DR Congo	0.73	0.51	47	58	55
169	Venezuela	0.71	0.41	10773	11255	5937
170	Botswana	0.66	0.96	189	219	138
171	Comoros	0.65	0.26	5	5	4
172	Benin	0.65	0.86	84	104	77
173	Maldives	0.55	0.81	242	310	116
174	Somalia	0.52	0.48	267	355	143
175	Yemen	0.46	0.15	551	597	574
176	Malawi	0.41	0.71	5	9	9
177	Congo Republic	0.39	1.88	19	21	14
178	East Timor	0.36	0.62	7	8	9
179	Afghanistan	0.34	0.23	59	77	51
180	Turkmenistan	0.32	0.59	11	13	8
181	Namibia	0.30	0.38	431	313	166
182	Gambia	0.29	0.54	16	15	15
183	Ethiopia	0.27	0.55	1346	1605	967
184	Burundi	0.23	0.21	9	12	9
185	Tajikistan	0.23	0.82	44	71	45
186	Guinea	0.21	0.76	30	37	22
187	China	0.13	4.87	705	769	198
188	Ivory Coast	0.13	0.19	164	217	142
189	Federated States of Micronesia	0.07	0.62	9	9	8
190	Eritrea	0.05	0.17	1	3	2
191	South Sudan	0.04	0.39	1	5	1
192	Guinea-Bissau	0.01	1.53	1	1	1

19Aug

Meta abandoning policy of removing misinformation about Covid

Wavelink August 19, 2022

Meta took a step Tuesday toward abandoning its policy of removing misinformation about Covid from its platforms.

The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is asking its Oversight Board for an advisory opinion on whether measures taken to squash dangerous Covid-19 misinformation should continue or be modified.

In an online posting, Meta’s president for global affairs Nick Clegg explained that the company’s harmful information policies were expanded at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to remove entire categories of false claims on a worldwide scale. Prior to that time, content was removed from Meta’s platforms only if it contributed to a risk of imminent physical harm.

“As a result,” Clegg wrote, “Meta has removed Covid-19 misinformation on an unprecedented scale. Globally, more than 25 million pieces of content have been removed since the start of the pandemic.”

However, Meta is suggesting it may be time for a change in its Covid misinformation policy.

“We are requesting an advisory opinion from the Oversight Board on whether Meta’s current measures to address Covid-19 misinformation under our harmful health misinformation policy continue to be appropriate, or whether we should address this misinformation through other means, like labeling or demoting it either directly or through our third-party fact-checking program,” Clegg noted.

Fading Emergency

Meta’s Covid misinformation policies were adopted during a state of emergency that demanded drastic measures, explained Will Duffield, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank whose vice president, John Samples, is on the Oversight Board. “Now, three years later, the sense of emergency has faded,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“There’s a lot more health information out there,” he said. “If people believe ridiculous things about vaccines or the efficacy of certain cures, that’s more on them now and less a result of a mixed-up information environment where people don’t know what’s true yet.”

“It was an unprecedented step to hand the policy over to global health organizations and local health authorities,” he added. “At some point, some of that had to be clawed back. You can’t have a state of emergency that lasts forever so this is an attempt to begin unwinding the process.”

Global Repercussions

Is the unwinding process beginning too soon?

“In the developed world, vaccinations are almost universal. As a result, while caseloads remain high, the number of serious illness and deaths are quite low,” noted Dan Kennedy, a professor of journalism at Northeastern University in Boston.

“But in the rest of the world, where there are countries where Facebook is a bigger deal than it is in the U.S., the emergency isn’t close to being over,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“While many countries are taking steps to return to a more normal life, that doesn’t mean the pandemic is over,” added Beth Hoffman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh’s school of public health’s department of behavioral and community health sciences.

“A big concern is that removing the current policy will particularly harm areas of the globe with lower vaccination rates and fewer resources to respond to a surge in cases or new variants,” she told TechNewsWorld.

Clegg acknowledged the global ramifications of any policy changes Meta might make. “It is important that any policy Meta implements be appropriate for the full range of circumstances countries find themselves in,” he wrote.

Line in the Sand

Meta wants to draw a line in the sand, maintained Karen Kovacs North, director of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities at the University of Southern California. “Their point is that there is no imminent physical harm in the same way there was at the beginning of the pandemic,” she told TechNewsWorld.

“They don’t want to set a precedent for taking stringent action if there is no imminent physical harm,” she added.

Clegg noted in his posting that Meta is fundamentally committed to free expression and believes its apps are an important way for people to make their voices heard.

“But resolving the inherent tensions between free expression and safety isn’t easy, especially when confronted with unprecedented and fast-moving challenges, as we have been in the pandemic,” he continued.

“That’s why we are seeking the advice of the Oversight Board in this case,” he wrote. “Its guidance will also help us respond to future public health emergencies.”

Meta says it want to balance free speech with the spread of misinformation so it makes sense that it would revisit its Covid policy, asserted Mike Horning, an associate professor of multimedia journalism at Virginia Tech University.

“While they seem to remain concerned about misinformation, it’s also good to see that they are concerned with how the policy might impact free speech,” he told TechNewsWorld.

Backlash From Content Removal

Pulling back on removing Covid misinformation could improve Meta’s image among some of its users, noted Horning. “The removal policy can be effective in slowing the spread of misinformation, but it also can create new problems,” he said.

“When people have their posts taken down, more conspiracy minded individuals see that as confirmation that Meta is trying to suppress certain information,” he continued. “So while removing content can limit the number of people who see misinformation, it also leads some to see the company as unfair or biased.”

The effectiveness of removing Covid misinformation may also be passing its expiration date. “One study found that when the Covid misinformation controls were first implemented, distribution of misinformation was reduced by 30%,” Duffield said.

“Over time, misinformation peddlers shifted to talking about other conspiracy theories or found coded ways to talk about Covid and Covid skepticism,” he continued. “So initially it had an impact, but that impact waned over time.”

North noted that some methods for controlling misinformation may appear to be weak but can be more effective than removing content. “Removing content can be like whack-a-mole. Content gets removed so people try to post it in a different way to trick the algorithm,” she explained.

“When you de-index it or reduce its exposure,” she continued, “it much harder for a poster to know how much exposure it’s getting so it can be very effective.”

Profiting Off Misinformation

While Meta declares the noblest of motives for changing its Covid misinformation policy, there could be some bottom-line concerns influencing the move, too.

“Content moderation is a burden for these companies,” observed Vincent Raynauld, an assistant professor in the department of communication studies at Emerson College in Boston.

“Whenever you remove content from your platform, there’s a cost associated with that,” he told TechNewsWorld. “When you leave the content up, you’re likely to get more content creation and engagement with that content.”

“There are lots of studies that show misinformation tends to generate a lot of engagement, and for these companies, user engagement is money,” he said.

Fast affordable fiber and wifi internet for home abd business in Nairobi

Category Archives: News