Google Flu

[Bill Harsey]

Been reading the news stories about how Google is working with the Center for Disease Control to track the spread of flu by who Googles "flu" or "flu symptons" type of queries.
Google says it can track the flu a couple weeks faster than how the CDC does it now. Google promises to only track the information about the computer user's location. Google is now providing information to the CDC.
Now this may be a great thing but I'm wondering if this could be the camels nose under the tent for other things that some would like controlled.

Didn't the CDC declare handguns a health issue some time ago?

Google flu :munchin.

[levinj]

This isn't the first time Google has shown these tendencies, sir. A year or so ago, they helped China track down a dissident blogger; he was arrested, I believe, though I didn't hear what happened to him after that.

Sorry if I'm out of my lane, but I definitely think this sort of thing bears watching.

[JJ_BPK]

Google just called,,

Seems I have failed to query "F L U" or "O N E - F L E W" or " FLUE YOU" in the last year

So they are sending out someone to give me a shoot.... :D:D:D

It's not who runs the government that counts,,

It's who has the data to back up the claim....

[Team Sergeant]

Didn't the CDC declare handguns a health issue some time ago?
Google flu :munchin.


Only if you used them as a mouth wash......;)

[Sigaba]

Along those same lines, spiders from Google, Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves, and Microsoft are regularly here in the late evening (Pacific standard time) indexing content.:eek:

[Team Sergeant]

Along those same lines, spiders from Google, Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves, and Microsoft are regularly here in the late evening (Pacific standard time) indexing content.:eek:

We know and they are "allowed" here for a number of reasons.;)

TS

[Smokin Joe]

Didn't the CDC declare handguns a health issue some time ago?

Google flu :munchin.

My families FORMER Pediatrician used to ask me if all my guns were locked up for my son's safety, this was prior to my son being able to crawl. She didn't really like my answer, especially when I questioned her on about her right to know. She advised it was apart of a general questionnaire that was asked nationwide.

So, yes as far as I know that is what the CDC thinks of firearms. :rolleyes:

Also I heard on Fox news today that the program only tracks Influenza versus the actual Flu. So, it is only tracking symptoms.