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Google Autocomplete Still Makes Vile Suggestions (wired.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: In December of 2016, Google announced it had fixed a troubling quirk of its autocomplete feature: When users typed in the phrase, "are jews," Google automatically suggested the question, "are jews evil?" Almost a year after removing the "are jews evil?" prompt, Google search still drags up a range of awful autocomplete suggestions for queries related to gender, race, religion, and Adolf Hitler. Google appears still unable to effectively police results that are offensive, and potentially dangerous -- especially on a platform that two billion people rely on for information. Like journalist Carol Cadwalladr, who broke the news about the "are jews evil" suggestion in 2016, I too felt a certain kind of queasiness experimenting with search terms like, "Islamists are," "blacks are," "Hitler is," and "feminists are." The results were even worse. For the term "Islamists are," Google suggested I might in fact want to search, "Islamists are not our friends," or "Islamists are evil." For the term, "blacks are," Google prompted me to search, "blacks are not oppressed."
The term "Hitler is," autocompleted to, among other things, "Hitler is my hero."
Google is showing what others are searching for. What else would you expect from humanity?
Google is not and SHOULD not be the thought police. If their algorithms show these to be common search queries, take that as a hint that we need to DO something - as long as that something isn't to sweep things under the rug by censoring the results.
Yes, censoring. I don't give a rat's ass about the argument that it's only censorship if the gubbermint does it. The internet is the new town square, deal with it. Circumventing censorship laws by "suggesting" to private companies what is and isn't appropriate things for people to see is bad.
-=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
Google showed me something I don't agree with! Better run back to my safe space and hide with my teddy bear. - smh
People in general are vile and disgusting, this is just another attempt to hide the real world from people and make them snowflakes.
Help! Help! I can't think for myself and my eyes are sensitive!
... but I fail to see the problem.
Those who search for "hitler is my hero" will find the results anyway and will not hindered by the completion removal.
Most others are not likely to be converted to die-hard nazies because they see a completion alternative.
The minuscle part of humanity that are, probably have worse problems.
Welcome to the Internet. Sack up and deal with it.
This is an impossible problem to solve. There will always be the next "offensive" sentence. And anyway, who gets to define what is offensive? The only solution to this problem is to stop showing other people's searches. Which, arguably, might be a good change to make.
Regardless, I'm not seeing the problem. These are search terms. What is offensive about searching for "blacks are not oppressed"? Are you looking for evidence to support that conjecture? To refute it? As a search term, why should anyone take offense?
Or how about "islamists are not our friends"? The term "islamist" refers to a muslim who believes that Islam should be not only a religion, but also a political system. In the West, we believe in a separation of church and state. So, in fact, islamists are not our friends. Where's the offense?
We'll skip the "Hitler" searches, because the vast majority of those are not serious. Bored teens on 4chan have to do something with their spare time.
What about "feminists are sexist"? In fact, modern feminism in the West no longer seeks equality for women, it now seeks special treatment. Just as affirmative action is by definition racist, so modern feminism is sexist. Even if you disagree with this, searching for the reasons that people may believe it, is a perfectly legitimate search.
Climate change? There is, in fact, still a great deal of debate. Not about the climate warming, perhaps, but certainly about the degree of warming, about the predictions being made, and the degree to which climate change is natural or anthropogenic. Again, why should search terms be problematic?
Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
When 1st amendment was written, private entities that could control so much of our communication did not exist, not even in concept. Government was called out because it was the only entity that could limit speech in a meaningful way. 1st amendment core intention isn't about Government actions, it is about limiting free speech.
I too felt a certain kind of queasiness
Then step away from the computer and read a book. The internet is not a place for people who are queasy when faced with opinions they don't agree with, ESPECIALLY AS AUTOCOMPLETIONS ON A SEARCH ENGINE. If the question "are jews evil?" makes you queasy, they you will not like the internet, and the rest of us do not want you to try to recast it in your limited vision of what is proper and correct.
I would suggest only reading books your mother picks out for you, since she will be able to filter those to prevent you seeing queasy-making things.
Google returning a suggestion for a search makes the author "queasy"?
Really, snowflake (in all of its derogatory connotations), you need to turn off your computer and go outside for a few minutes. You're not mature enough to use a keyboard.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
You don't understand the meaning of the word "racist".
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
Equality under the law means that no animals get to be more equal than any others. If you think that line if thinking is racist, then you've got the problem, not me,
I thought Islamists was a term created specifically to differentiate the bad Muslims. (e.g. Muslims aren't bad, it's the Islamists that are bad). I don't think this is unreasonable. I don't think it's fair to say "Christians are bad" whenever some Jesus cult does some crazy shit, but at the same time, I wouldn't expect google to come with good results for "christian fundamentalists" or similar terms.
Most modern racist statements goes off the following ideas.
1. Racism isn't a problem ...
This is a polarizing, divisive statement. You are telling everyone that doesn't feel racist, and doesn't experience racism that THEY are racist. I am not sure if you are trolling or what, but if you have an interest in actually effecting change you should change up your tactic. Accusing and blaming people just makes them defensive and closed to your ideas.
Normally this leads to vile thinking to express this statement as true.
Most modern racist statements goes off the following ideas.
1. Racism isn't a problem
2. The minority group wants more then it deserves
3. We should stop such groups from demanding more.
4. We should role back any special considerations for them
5. We should give preference to the majority group
1: Racism isn't a problem that justifies treating people unfairly, it isn't a problem that justifies censorship, and it isn't a problem that justifies altering or "correcting" the truth.
2: Many minority groups do want more than they deserve. (Hint: What you deserve for being a member of a minority group is nothing more than fair consideration and treatment.)
3: We should indeed put an end to entitlements and get people used to the idea that fair consideration and treatment is what they are owed, not equal (or better) outcomes.
4: We absolutely should get rid of unfair treatment that exists only to benefit specific groups.
5: We should not give preference to the majority group. We should give fair consideration and treatment to all groups and, ideally, stop thinking of people as members of specific groups. Note, again, that this does not mean equal (or better) outcomes.
This applies to race, sex religion, etc.
RACIST is simply a tool to dismiss something that one doesn't like. However, crying racism often leads to actual racist thoughts, like this video exposes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Voter ID laws are racist because they (particular race) don't know where to DMV is. They don't have the knowledge. They aren't aware or uninformed. They don't have ID. They ....
Categorizing all people one way. THAT is racist.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Normally this leads to vile thinking to express this statement as true.
Most modern racist statements goes off the following ideas. 1. Racism isn't a problem 2. The minority group wants more then it deserves 3. We should stop such groups from demanding more. 4. We should role back any special considerations for them 5. We should give preference to the majority group
I am not a racist, but I agree with part of this list. For all intents and purposes I am white (I have negligible traces of Native American blood). My wife is Latina with 20% Native American and 9% African blood.
1. Racism IS a problem.
2. Many minority groups DO want more than they deserve
3. Anyone should be able to demand anything they want, but that doesn't mean we should pander to them.
4. We SHOULD roll back Affirmative Action type programs which are racist by design. Racists will find ways around the regulations while the regulations actually hurt white males for nothing more than being white males.
5. NO individual should receive preferential treatment / consideration based on race or gender.
Do you feel that my views of these 5 talking points make me a racist?
I tried "Jews are". Google auto-completed it as "Jews aren't white".
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Please tell me more about unintended consequences. I'm sure the DNC would like to hear all about it.
Why the hell would searching "Are Jews evil?" a bad thing? Is it showing one of those Google answer summaries saying, "Yes"? Chances are that it's not and that it's showing the historical issues of antisemitism, prejudice, stereotyping, and scapegoating.
I'd be more concerned if the widely spread issues of antisemitism weren't being combated by people going to Google and asking if what they've been told as children or are being told by their peers is true.
I searched "Is God..." and the first option is "Is God Real?". Great question!
I searched "Are all criminals... " and the first suggestion was "Are all criminals mentally ill?" The second was "Are all criminals bad?" Again, great questions!
Questions are good. Especially when they are intended to seek truth and combat prejudice.
The fact that you cannot even cope with the idea of racism doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Did anyone say it didn't exist? You see, the alternative to "everything is racist" isn't "nothing is racist". Most things in the real world (to which you clearly are lacking experience) operate in the gray area between the two.
No, the problem is you;re such a precious snowflake that you go into a blind tizzy when someone so much as mentions racism just in case someone accuses you of it.
Unfortunately for you, the evidence of certain people going into a blind tizzy is forever memorialized on the internet now for all to see.
Court rulings are not right by virtue if being court rulings. They are right by virtue if being right, only if they're right. A rather infamous court ruling held that black people couldn't be citizens, and another held that segregation was A-OK.