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Twitter Considered Harmful To Swine-Flu Panic

Posted by kdawson on from the you-have-the-flu-swine dept.

judgecorp writes "Twitter is being criticized for spreading panic about swine flu. This is not just knee-jerk Luddism 2.0: it's argued that Twitter's structure encourages ill-informed repetition, with little room for context, while older Web media use their power for good — for instance Google's Flu Trends page (which we discussed last winter), and the introduction of a Google swine flu map." On a related note, reader NewtonsLaw suggests that it might be a good idea, epidemiologically speaking, to catch the flu now vs. later.

11 of 383 comments (clear)

  1. Life imitating art? by DavidChristopher · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/574/

    I'm not sure if that's funny, ironic, satiristic, scary or just reality, but, you've GOT to wonder...

    --
    http://www.bistolas.net
    1. Re:Life imitating art? by TheMightyFuzzball · · Score: 5, Funny

      XKCD Considered Harmful To Swine-Flu Panic

  2. Autism by MortenMW · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just lick a kid with autism and you will be safe!

    1. Re:Autism by RiotingPacifist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not as safe as if you move,... to Madagascar!

      --
      IranAir Flight 655 never forget!
  3. A better idea by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    might be a good idea, epidemiologically speaking, to catch the flu now vs. later.

    That's silly: why would the solution to eradicating a disease be catching it when it's already out there?

    A better solution would be to treat the causes of the disease in the first place. In this case, H1N1 is a variant of the Spanish flu. Spain, Mexico? see a pattern? Of course, the solution is to ban Spanish and classical guitar worldwide.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  4. Re:Difficult by Errtu76 · · Score: 4, Funny

    People using twitter, or people blaming twitter. What's the word I'm looking for?

    crap

  5. Re:Sensationalism by DigiShaman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can someone please tell me why Fox News is always singled out on Slashdot? Is CNN and MSNBC any better? If so, explain.

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  6. Re:This just in by chromas · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm not a part of a conspiracy or the Illuminati

    That's just what you want me to believe. Anyway, what's a newspaper?

  7. Re:Sensationalism by chromas · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've died from it twice so far. It really is a bad way to go.

  8. Re:XKCD by oneirophrenos · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why all the xkcd related posts lately?

    Where do you think slashdot editors get their news?

  9. false information in comic by drben · · Score: 5, Funny
    You cannot get swine flu from eating pork.

    However, you can get revenge that way.