Linked List: June 24, 2020

Wednesday, 24 June 2020

Facebook Creates Fact-Checking Exemption for Climate Deniers ★

Judd Legum, writing at Popular Information:

Facebook is “aiding and abetting the spread of climate misinformation,” said Robert Brulle, an environmental sociologist at Drexel University. “They have become the vehicle for climate misinformation, and thus should be held partially responsible for a lack of action on climate change.”

Brulle was reacting to Facebook’s recent decision, made at the request of climate science deniers, to create a giant loophole in its fact-checking program. Last year, Facebook partnered with an organization, Science Feedback, that would bring in teams of Ph.D. climate scientists to evaluate the accuracy of viral content. It was an important expansion of the company’s third-party fact-checking program.

But now Facebook has reportedly decided to allow its staffers to overrule the climate scientists and make any climate disinformation ineligible for fact-checking by deeming it “opinion.”

Facebook can’t have it both ways. They can be a haven for right-wing disinformation or they can be a part of civil society. Zuckerberg seemingly thinks they can have it both ways, but it can’t hold.

Dieter Bohn on What’s New in iOS 14 ★

Good overview of how you use and set up home screen widgets, app clips, the new App Library, and more. I think his conclusion is spot-on: by definition these features make the iPhone home screen more complicated, but there’s no downside to this added complexity because they’re all optional. Typical users don’t need to be aware of any of them. They’re traditional “power user” features that reward exploration.

The Dalrymple Report: WWDC 2020 With Yours Truly ★

Jim Dalrymple:

John and I get together every year for a special podcast during WWDC to talk about the announcements. Despite the distance between us, this year was no different.

Bit different this year, but fun as always.

Olympus to Exit Camera Business After 84 Years ★

Kosaku Narioka, reporting for The Wall Street Journal (News+ link):

Olympus Corp. is getting out of the camera business after 84 years to focus on medical devices. […]

Olympus was a global consumer brand for decades thanks to its cameras, hiring the likes of supermodel Cheryl Tiegs to promote its products on television. It shifted readily to digital cameras in the 1990s and was No. 2 in market share behind Sony Corp. early this century.

As recently as 2007, the dawn of the smartphone era, digital cameras were a $3-billion-a-year business for Olympus. Within a few years, however, most of the market evaporated because people were using their phones to take pictures. Camera revenue shrank to just over $400 million in the year ended March 31, and the business has lost money for the past three fiscal years.

The times they are a-changing.

MLB Announces 2020 Regular Season ★

MLB:

MLB has submitted a 60-game regular-season schedule for review by the Players Association. In order to mitigate travel, the schedule would include 10 games for each team against its four divisional opponents, along with 20 games against the opposite league’s corresponding geographical division (for example, the AL East will play the NL East, and so on). […]

The designated-hitter rule will be used in both leagues in 2020, part of the league’s health and safety protocols for this season.

Everything about the rebooting of pro sports is — necessarily! — weird. But the DH in National League games is going to be the weirdest of all. I don’t see an answer for what this means for the postseason, but I suspect the DH will be used in all postseason games too. We might never see another MLB game without the DH.