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What are financial years – and why are they different from calendar years?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michaela-rankin-1544784">Michaela Rankin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>Yesterday was July 1, the first day of the new financial year in Australia.</p> <p>Also called fiscal years, financial years are often abbreviated in print. The one that’s just begun in Australia – July 1 2024 to June 30 2025 – will typically be denoted by FY24/25 or FY25.</p> <p>As the name suggests, financial years are used for financial reporting, tax and budgeting purposes. Whether you are preparing an individual tax return or financial statements for a business, it is important to understand the difference between financial and calendar years.</p> <p>Both have 365 days. But the calendar year, based on the <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/gregorian-calendar.html">Gregorian calendar</a>, runs from New Years’ Day on January 1 through to December 31.</p> <p>Australian financial years on the other hand run from July 1 of one year to June 30 the next.</p> <p>But this July to June financial year <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200430054150/https:/www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/228.html">does not apply</a> in all countries. Many align their financial year with the calendar year, but others have further variations still.</p> <p>So why are they different, and what does that mean for businesses operating across borders?</p> <h2>Different around the world</h2> <p>In contrast to our own, the United Kingdom’s financial year starts on April 6 each year and runs to April 5 the next.</p> <p>The English and Irish New Year traditionally fell on March 25, when taxes and other accounts were due. But in the 18th century, the British empire switched from the Roman Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, and had to <a href="https://www.bowesbrooks.co.uk/why-does-the-tax-year-start-on-6th-april/">adjust the start date</a> to avoid losing tax revenue.</p> <p>India’s fiscal year runs from April 1 until March 31, for a <a href="https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/finfirst-blogs/finance/reasons-why-the-financial-year-starts-from-april">number of reasons</a>. Historically a country that was heavily focused on agriculture, this timeframe aligned with the crop cycle and allowed the government to develop financial plans for the sector.</p> <p>The British empire also influenced the April reporting schedule in India, as prior to independence many financial policies were based on the British system.</p> <h2>Government budgets play a role</h2> <p>In the United States, fiscal years once ran from July 1 to June 30, like Australia’s do now. But in 1974 this was <a href="https://www.federaltimes.com/management/budget/2022/09/20/why-the-us-federal-fiscal-year-2023-starts-in-october/">changed</a> to instead span October 1 to September 30, giving Congress more time to agree on a budget each year.</p> <p>In the US, however, companies can also <a href="https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-decide-on-fiscal-year/">choose their own</a> fiscal years. Some choose a calendar year, but others elect dates that better align with their business cycle.</p> <p>Walmart’s, for example, ends on January 31 each year to reflect its typically strong financial performance over the holiday period at the end of the year.</p> <p>In Australia, the financial year matches government reporting cycles.</p> <p>Unlike the northern hemisphere, our parliamentarians typically take holidays over summer in December and January, which makes meeting over November and December to approve government budgets difficult.</p> <p>The federal budget is issued in May for the following financial year, giving parliament time to consider it before the new fiscal year begins.</p> <h2>Comparing (and taxing) performance</h2> <p>Regardless of the time period over which a financial year operates, its primary purpose is to provide a standardised time frame for financial reporting.</p> <p>Financial years allow income and expenses to be tracked and compared over the same timeframe each year. This allows investors to compare business performance across consistent periods. They are also used to determine the collection of personal income tax.</p> <p>Our government uses this information to calculate the amount of tax it will collect through the Australian Taxation Office each year.</p> <p>Businesses with operations spanning multiple countries may have to contend with fiscal years that do not align. Where this is the case, they may need to choose one financial year for the whole company, typically that used by the parent company.</p> <p>Keeping track of the financial year is helpful for individuals, in knowing when tax returns need to be prepared (and when to expect end-of-financial-year sales).</p> <p>It is also important for businesses to consider the financial year in making budgeting, business and tax planning decisions. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233655/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michaela-rankin-1544784"><em>Michaela Rankin</em></a><em>, Professor and Head, Department of Accounting, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-financial-years-and-why-are-they-different-from-calendar-years-233655">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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"Google it ya lazy mongrels”: Hollywood star's powerful post on Voice Referendum

<p>Hollywood superstar Jason Momoa has divided his 17 million followers after endorsing the Yes campaign for the upcoming Voice referendum. </p> <p>The <em>Aquaman</em> actor, 44, who is of Indigenous Polynesian descent, took to Instagram to repost a  viral ‘Yes vote’ video that was released on Thursday, and features Indigenous musician and writer Adam Briggs and comedians Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst. </p> <p>"The post read: “#yes23 is a referendum taking place in Australia on October 14. The aim is to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people a Voice in parliament so they can weigh in on issues that affect their lives.</p> <p>“Simple as that. How do I know this? I googled it. But many Australians are confused or freaked out about what it means. </p> <p>"Don’t be! It’s a good thing! Just do good things! Also Google it ya lazy mongrels.”</p> <p>He also added  “VOTE YES to THE VOICE on OCT 14.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx9zZMDOkZg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx9zZMDOkZg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Momoa's stance divided his followers, with some claiming that he had no right to weigh in on Australian politics, despite his indigenous heritage.</p> <p>“Stay out of Australian politics mate, do your thing in America and that, but putting your 5 cents in terms on the Yes or No vote is not with you,” wrote angry follower. </p> <p>“Celebrity puppets sharing government propaganda campaigns. The world continues to get weirder,” another added. </p> <p>However, many praised the star for using his platform and lending his voice to the Yes campaign. </p> <p>“Thanks for sharing this. It is a big deal here and causing a lot of controversy and misinformation,” one fan commented. </p> <p>“Thank you and Taika for the solidarity. The lead up to the referendum has been really rough on our communities and it’s actually really nice to get some encouragement from our Indigenous brothers from across the seas,” another added. </p> <p>“I can’t even begin to thank you for sharing this. I will not read any more of the comments,” a third commented. </p> <p>“Thank you for adding your voice to the thousands across Australia who will be voting yes. Every voice counts,” added a fourth. </p> <p>The video itself is a three-minute skit-style clip where Briggs talks to two ignorant women - who had casual biases echoing the No campaign - about the upcoming Voice referendum.</p> <p>He kindly calls them out for their lack of information, with their excuse being that they haven't “had heaps of time” because of "life".</p> <p>“Have you got your phone? Let’s see what you do have time for,” Briggs asks in the clip and as he opens up their search history, and jokingly says: “‘Did Aaron leave Love Island 13 because he had gonorrhoea?’ Big questions." </p> <p>He then googles the proposal and finds a basic explainer in seconds. </p> <p>“The Voice referendum means we are voting to have a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice who may make representations to parliament on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.</p> <p>"The Voice will give independent advice to parliament and will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of communities. That advice then goes to parliament who continues to hold the ultimate power for legislative change," they said. </p> <p>“OK, well, that is quite clear, I’d just vote yes to that?” the woman adds. “How did you find that? You went on Google, and it’s, the first result? OK, well you need to tell people about that Google thing.”</p> <p>The clip ends with a message that says: "Vote Yes to that referendum thing."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Getty: </em><em>Mike Marsland/WireImage </em></p>

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Put down your calendar - You’re travelling in May

<p dir="ltr"><strong> 1. Paris, France</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">May brings mild weather as spring blossoms, so it’s the perfect month to explore the pretty city. La Nuit des Musées falls on the third Saturday of May and allows visitors free entry to the city’s museums, which stay open late for the occasion. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Hokkaido, Japan</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Believe it or not, you can travel to Japan past April and see the cherry blossom season in full swing! If you’ve missed the April mark then head up north to Hokkaido where the Sakura flower blooms a month later. Matsumae Park is one of the best places to spot them, with around 250 varieties of cherry blossom and 10,000 trees. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Wales</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While we can’t promise perfect weather for Wales, there may be a hint of sunlight to keep you warm amongst the drizzle. May is the perfect month for climbing Snowdon, exploring Portmeirion and if you’re up for the challenge - walking the entire Wales Coastal path. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Memphis, USA</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The cleverly named Memphis in May festival is a month-long festival that honours a specific foreign country every year and celebrates through live events, exhibitions, screenings, performances and art. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Nepal</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The weather couldn’t be any more pleasant in Nepal in May! Two of the country’s largest festivals take place during the month too. Tiji festival is a celebration of the (presumed) triumph of good over evil, while Buddha Jayanti commemorates the life and times of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

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“What a joke!” Outrage over luxury chocolate advent calendar’s price tag

<p dir="ltr">Chocolate advent calendars are a staple in many households to countdown to Christmas in the most delicious way.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, one boutique chocolatier has taken this humble tradition to the next level. </p> <p dir="ltr">Haigh’s Chocolates recently announced their annual Luxury Advent Calendar, with one aspect of the edible countdown causing a stir online. </p> <p dir="ltr">The indulgent calendar comes with 24 doors, giving customers a chocolatey treat each day of December, but also boasts a ridiculously hefty price tag. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Luxury Advent Calendar is available now for <a href="https://www.haighschocolates.com.au/xm22-890-haigh-s-luxury-advent-calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pre-order</a> (until November 11th) for $1,190.</p> <p dir="ltr">Haigh's wants customers to "celebrate the magic of the festive season" and enjoy the countdown to Christmas in the "most delicious way" - but unfortunately, that will come at a huge cost for Aussies.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many Australians have been outraged over the cost, taking to online spaces to vent their frustrations, claiming why the huge price of the calendar is not sending the right Christmas spirit messaging. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We have homeless. We have people struggling to buy food. Kids going to school without breakfast. And then this extravagance. All on our doorstep. Just doesn't seem right. Sure, if you can afford it, buy it. Or you could buy 6 weeks of meals for someone struggling and really embrace the Christmas spirit," one customer fumed on social media. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Haha wow $1200 for chocolate? That's gotta be really good chocolate. I don't think so, better things to spend $1200 on," another outraged shopper added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Others accused the company of not reading the room at a time when Aussies were struggling with the rise in cost of living. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We can tee this up with a $70 Lobster roll from the pop-up food cart in Rundle Mall. Middle class is disappearing, the gap is widening, you are either in the minority and getting richer, or becoming more povvo like the majority," one person shared. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another agreed, saying, "What a joke! most Australians are doing it so tuff! Anyone who buys this needs their head read! Even if I was a millionaire I would not pay this for chocolate. If I had that spare for chocolate I would rather donate to someone who really needs it!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, there were a few people who were keen on the luxury chocolate, regardless of the cost. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I would like this advent calendar thanks," one person shared. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I’m worth it!" added another. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I'll be disappointed if I don’t wake up to this on the 1st of December."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Haigh’s Chocolates</em></p>

Food & Wine

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The must-know Google Translate hack for your next holiday

<p dir="ltr">When travelling overseas, one thing we can often run into is an issue with the language barrier. </p> <p dir="ltr">Whether it's chatting to someone in a store or trying to decipher street signs and menus, when exploring international locations, it's important to be prepared to communicate. </p> <p dir="ltr">One savvy traveller has shared a must-know tip for your next trip abroad, which will get you out of sticky situations. </p> <p dir="ltr">When Nguyen was travelling in Turkey, she found herself stumped when trying to order off a menu written in a language she didn’t speak. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, she discovered that if you open the Google Translate app and point the camera at the foreign text, it will instantly translate it to English. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Literally, it translates everything within seconds. How sick is that?" she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The feature automatically detects the language shown on camera and immediately translates it to the user's preferred language. </p> <p dir="ltr">The camera can currently interpret over 85 language scripts and can translate into any of the languages supported on Google Translate, which can be downloaded on both iPhone and Android devices.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You guys need to get onto this and thank me later," said Nguyen.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Nguyen found the tech an illuminating discovery, her TikTok video was flooded by users saying they had been using the app for their international travels for years, with the camera feature being available to the public since at least 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm 71 and feel good today, been using this for years," said one.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another commented, "Welcome to 2022 you're years late!"</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Is Google’s AI chatbot LaMDA sentient? Computer says no

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-default"> <p>“Actions such as his could come only from a robot, or from a very honorable and decent human being. But you see, you can’t differentiate between a robot and the very best of humans.”</p> <p><cite>– Isaac Asimov, <em>I, Robot</em></cite></p></blockquote> <p>Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was among the first to consider a future in which humanity creates artificial intelligence that becomes sentient. Following Asimov’s <em>I, Robot</em>, others have imagined the challenges and dangers such a future might hold.</p> <p>Should we be afraid of sentient robots taking over the planet? Are scientists inadvertently creating our own demise? How would society look if we were to create a sentient artificial intelligence?</p> <p>It’s these questions which – often charged by our own emotions and feelings – drive the buzz around claims of sentience in machines. An example of this emerged this week when Google employee Blake Lemoine claimed that the tech giant’s chatbot LaMDA had exhibited sentience.</p> <p>LaMDA, or “language model for dialogue applications”, is not Lemoine’s creation, but the work of <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2201.08239.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">60 other researchers at Google</a>. Lemoine has been trying to teach the chatbot transcendental meditation.</p> <p>Lemoine shared on his Medium profile the <a href="https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">text of an interview</a> he and a colleague conducted with LaMDA. Lemoine claims that the chatbot’s responses indicate sentience comparable to that of a seven or eight-year-old child.</p> <p>Later, on June 14, Lemoine said on <a href="https://twitter.com/cajundiscordian/status/1536503474308907010" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>: “People keep asking me to back up the reason I think LaMDA is sentient. There is no scientific framework in which to make those determinations and Google wouldn’t let us build one. My opinions about LaMDA’s personhood and sentience are based on my religious beliefs.”</p> <p>Since sharing the interview with LaMDA, Lemoine has been placed on “paid administrative leave”.</p> <p>What are we to make of the claim? We should consider the following: what is sentience? How can we test for sentience?</p> <p><em>Cosmos </em>spoke to experts in artificial intelligence research to answer these and other questions in light of the claims about LaMDA.</p> <p>Professor Toby Walsh is a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Walsh also penned an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/14/labelling-googles-lamda-chatbot-as-sentient-is-fanciful-but-its-very-human-to-be-taken-in-by-machines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">article for the <em>Guardian</em></a> on Lemoine’s claims, writing: “Before you get too worried, Lemoine’s claims of sentience for LaMDA are, in my view, entirely fanciful. While Lemoine no doubt genuinely believes his claims, LaMDA is likely to be as sentient as a traffic light.”</p> <p>Walsh is also the author of a book, <em>Machines Behaving Badly: The Morality of AI</em>, published this month in which these themes are investigated.</p> <p>“We don’t have a very good scientific definition of sentience,” Walsh tells <em>Cosmos</em>. “It’s often thought as equivalent to consciousness, although it’s probably worth distinguishing between the two.”</p> <p>Sentience is about experiencing feelings or emotions, Walsh explains, whereas consciousness is being aware of your thoughts and others. “One reason why most experts will have quickly refuted the idea that LaMDA is sentient, is that the only sentient things that we are aware of currently are living,” he says. “That seems to be pretty much a precondition to be a sentient being – to be alive. And computers are clearly not alive.”</p> <p>Professor Hussein Abbass, professor in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at UNSW Canberra, agrees, but also highlights the lack of rigorous assessments of sentience. “Unfortunately, we do not have any satisfactory tests in the literature for sentience,” he says.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p195078-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/google-ai-lamda-sentient/#wpcf7-f6-p195078-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p><!-- Chimpmail extension by Renzo Johnson --></form> </div> </div> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“For example, if I ask a computer ‘do you feel pain’, and the answer is yes, does it mean it feels pain? Even if I grill it with deeper questions about pain, its ability to reason about pain is different from concluding that it feels pain. We may all agree that a newborn feels pain despite the fact that the newborn can’t argue the meaning of pain,” Abbass says. “The display of emotion is different from the existence of emotion.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Walsh reasons that we can observe something responding to stimuli as evidence of sentience, but we should hold computers to higher standards. “The only sentience I’m certain of is my own because I experience it,” he says. “Because you look like you’re made of the same stuff as me, and you’re responding in an appropriate way, the simplest explanation is to assume that you must be sentient like I feel I am sentient.” For a computer, however, “that assumption that is not the simplest explanation. The simplest explanation is that it’s a clever mimic.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“A conversation has two sides to it,” adds Walsh. “If you play with these tools, you quickly learn that it’s quite critical how you interact with them, and the questions you prompt them with will change the quality of the output. I think it reflects, in many respects, the intelligence of the person asking the questions and pushing the conversation along in helpful ways and, perhaps, using points that lead the conversation. That really reflects the intelligence of the person asking the questions.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“Care needs to be taken to not project our own emotions and aspirations onto the machine, when we are talking about artificial intelligence in general,” says Dr Marc Cheong, digital ethics lecturer at the University of Melbourne. “AI learns from past data that we humans create – and the societal and historical contexts in which we live are reflected in the data we use to train the AI. Similarly for the claims of sentience, we shouldn’t start anthropomorphising AI without realising that its behaviour is merely finding patterns in data we feed into it.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“We’re very forgiving, right? That’s a really human trait,” says Walsh. “Our superpower is not really our intelligence. Our superpower is our ability to work together to form society to interact with each other. If we mishear or a person says something wrong, we fill the gaps in. That’s helpful for us to work together and cooperate with other human beings. But equally, it tends to mislead us. We tend to be quite gullible in ascribing intelligence and other traits like sentience and consciousness to things that are perhaps inanimate.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Walsh also explains that this isn’t the first time this has happened.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">The first chatbot, Eliza, created in the 1970s, was “way less sophisticated”, Walsh says. “Eliza would take the sentence that the person said and turn it into a question. And yet there was quite a hype and buzz when Eliza first came out. The very first chatbot obviously fooled some people into thinking it was human. So it’s perhaps not so surprising that a much more sophisticated chatbot like this does the same again.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">In 1997, the supercomputer Deep Blue beat chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov. “I could feel – I could smell – a new kind of intelligence across the table,” <a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984305,00.html#ixzz1DyffA0Dl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kasparov wrote in TIME</a>.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">But Walsh explains that Deep Blue’s winning move wasn’t a stroke of genius produced by the machine’s creativity or sentience, but a bug in its code – as the timer was running out, the computer chose a move at random. “It quite spooked Kasparov and possibly actually contributed to his eventual narrow loss,” says Walsh.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">So, how far away are we really from creating sentient machines? That’s difficult to say, but experts believe the short answer is “very far”.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“Will we ever create machines that are sentient?” asks Walsh. “We don’t know if that’s something that’s limited to biology. Computers are very good at simulating the weather and electron orbits. We could get them to simulate the biochemistry of a sentient being. But whether they then are sentient – that’s an interesting, technical, philosophical question that we don’t really know the answer to.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“We should probably entertain the idea that there’s nothing that we know of that would preclude it. There are no laws of physics that would be violated if machines were to become sentient. It’s plausible that we are just machines of some form and that we can build sentience in a computer. It just seems very unlikely that computers have any sentience today.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“If we can’t objectively define what ‘sentient’ is, we can’t estimate how long it will take to create it,” explains Abbass. “In my expert opinion as an AI scientist for 30+ years, I would say that today’s AI-enabled machines are nowhere close to even the edge of being sentient.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">So, what then are we to make of claims of sentience?</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“I can understand why this will be a very big thing because we give rights to almost anything that’s sentient. And we don’t like other things to suffer,” says Walsh.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“If machines never become sentient then we never have to have to care about them. I can take my robots apart diode by diode, and no one cares,” Walsh explains. “I don’t have to seek ethics approval for turning them off or anything like that. Whereas if they do become sentient, we <em class="spai-bg-prepared">will </em>have to worry about these things. And we have to ask questions like, are we allowed to turn them off? Is that akin to killing them? Should we get them to do the dull, dangerous, difficult things that are too dull, dangerous or difficult for humans to do? Equally, I do worry that if they don’t become sentient, they will always be very limited in what they can do.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“I get worried from statements made about the technology that exaggerates the truth,” Abbass adds. “It undermines the intelligence of the public, it plays with people’s emotions, and it works against the objectivity in science. From time to time I see statements like Lemoine’s claims. This isn’t bad, because it gets us to debate these difficult concepts, which helps us advance the science. But it does not mean that the claims are adequate for the current state-of-the-art in AI. Do we have any sentient machine that I am aware of in the public domain? While we have technologies to imitate a sentient individual, we do not have the science yet to create a true sentient machine.”</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=195078&amp;title=Is+Google%E2%80%99s+AI+chatbot+LaMDA+sentient%3F+Computer+says+no" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/google-ai-lamda-sentient/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evrim Yazgin</a>. Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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There is, in fact, a ‘wrong’ way to use Google

<p>I was recently reading comments on a post related to COVID-19, and saw a reply I would classify as misinformation, bordering on conspiracy. I couldn’t help but ask the commenter for evidence.</p> <p>Their response came with some web links and “do your own research”. I then asked about their research methodology, which turned out to be searching for specific terms on Google.</p> <p>As an academic, I was intrigued. Academic research aims to establish the truth of a phenomenon based on evidence, analysis and peer review.</p> <p>On the other hand, a search on Google provides links with content written by known or unknown authors, who may or may not have knowledge in that area, based on a ranking system that either follows the preferences of the user, or the collective popularity of certain sites.</p> <p>In other words, Google’s algorithms can penalise the truth for not being popular.</p> <p><a href="https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/algorithms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Search’s</a> ranking system has a <a href="https://youtu.be/tFq6Q_muwG0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fraction of a second</a> to sort through hundreds of billions of web pages, and index them to find the most relevant and (ideally) useful information.</p> <p>Somewhere along the way, mistakes get made. And it’ll be a while before these algorithms become foolproof – if ever. Until then, what can you do to make sure you’re not getting the short end of the stick?</p> <p><strong>One question, millions of answers</strong></p> <p>There are around <a href="https://morningscore.io/how-does-google-rank-websites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">201 known factors</a> on which a website is analysed and ranked by Google’s algorithms. Some of the main ones are:</p> <ul> <li>the specific key words used in the search</li> <li>the meaning of the key words</li> <li>the relevance of the web page, as assessed by the ranking algorithm</li> <li>the “quality” of the contents</li> <li>the usability of the web page</li> <li>and user-specific factors such as their location and profiling data taken from connected Google products, including Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps.</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-013-9321-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research has shown</a> users pay more attention to higher-ranked results on the first page. And there are known ways to ensure a website makes it to the first page.</p> <p>One of these is “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">search engine optimisation</a>”, which can help a web page float into the top results even if its content isn’t necessarily quality.</p> <p>The other issue is Google Search results <a href="https://mcculloughwebservices.com/2021/01/07/why-google-results-look-different-for-everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are different for different people</a>, sometimes even if they have the exact same search query.</p> <p>Results are tailored to the user conducting the search. In his book <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/181/181850/the-filter-bubble/9780241954522.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Filter Bubble</a>, Eli Pariser points out the dangers of this – especially when the topic is of a controversial nature.</p> <p>Personalised search results create alternate versions of the flow of information. Users receive more of what they’ve already engaged with (which is likely also what they already believe).</p> <p>This leads to a dangerous cycle which can further polarise people’s views, and in which more searching doesn’t necessarily mean getting closer to the truth.</p> <p><strong>A work in progress</strong></p> <p>While Google Search is a brilliant search engine, it’s also a work in progress. Google is <a href="https://ai.googleblog.com/2020/04/a-scalable-approach-to-reducing-gender.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continuously addressing various issues</a> related to its performance.</p> <p>One major challenge relates to societal biases <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/artificial-intelligence-is-demonstrating-gender-bias-and-its-our-fault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerning race and gender</a>. For example, searching Google Images for “truck driver” or “president” returns images of mostly men, whereas “model” and “teacher” returns images of mostly women.</p> <p>While the results may represent what has <em>historically</em> been true (such as in the case of male presidents), this isn’t always the same as what is <em>currently</em> true – let alone representative of the world we wish to live in.</p> <p>Some years ago, Google <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/12/16882408/google-racist-gorillas-photo-recognition-algorithm-ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> had to block its image recognition algorithms from identifying “gorillas”, after they began classifying images of black people with the term.</p> <p>Another issue highlighted by health practitioners relates to people <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/please-stop-using-doctor-google-dangerous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">self diagnosing based on symptoms</a>. It’s estimated about <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.50600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40% of Australians</a> search online for self diagnoses, and there are about 70,000 health-related searches conducted on Google each minute.</p> <p>There can be serious repercussions for those who <a href="https://www.medicaldirector.com/press/new-study-reveals-the-worrying-impact-of-doctor-google-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incorrectly interpret</a> information found through “<a href="https://www.ideas.org.au/blogs/dr-google-should-you-trust-it.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Google</a>” – not to mention what this means in the midst of a pandemic.</p> <p>Google has delivered a plethora of COVID misinformation related to unregistered medicines, fake cures, mask effectiveness, contact tracing, lockdowns and, of course, vaccines.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/103/4/article-p1621.xml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one study</a>, an estimated 6,000 hospitalisations and 800 deaths during the first few months of the pandemic were attributable to misinformation (specifically the false claim that <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-28/hundreds-dead-in-iran-after-drinking-methanol-to-cure-virus/12192582" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drinking methanol can cure COVID</a>).</p> <p>To combat this, <a href="https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/how-search-engines-disseminate-information-about-covid-19-and-why-they-should-do-better/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google eventually prioritised</a> authoritative sources in its search results. But there’s only so much Google can do.</p> <p>We each have a responsibility to make sure we’re thinking critically about the information we come across. What can you do to make sure you’re asking Google the best question for the answer you need?</p> <p><strong>How to Google smarter</strong></p> <p>In summary, a Google Search user must be aware of the following facts:</p> <ol> <li> <p>Google Search will bring you the top-ranked web pages which are also the most relevant to your search terms. Your results will be as good as your terms, so always consider context and how the inclusion of certain terms might affect the result.</p> </li> <li> <p>You’re better off starting with a <a href="https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=enr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">simple search</a>, and adding more descriptive terms later. For instance, which of the following do you think is a more effective question: “<em>will hydroxychloroquine help cure my COVID?</em>” or “<em>what is hydroxychloroquine used for?</em>”</p> </li> <li> <p>Quality content comes from verified (or verifiable) sources. While scouring through results, look at the individual URLs and think about whether that source holds much authority (for instance, is it a government website?). Continue this process once you’re in the page, too, always checking for author credentials and information sources.</p> </li> <li> <p>Google may personalise your results based on your previous search history, current location and interests (gleaned through other products such as Gmail, YouTube or Maps). You can use <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en&amp;co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incognito mode</a> to prevent these factors from impacting your search results.</p> </li> <li> <p>Google Search isn’t the only option. And you don’t just have to leave your reading to the discretion of its algorithms. There are several other search engines available, including <a href="https://www.bing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bing</a>, <a href="https://au.yahoo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo</a>, <a href="https://www.baidu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baidu</a>, <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DuckDuckGo</a> and <a href="https://www.ecosia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecosia</a>. Sometimes it’s good to triangulate your results from outside the filter bubble. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179099/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> </li> </ol> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/muneera-bano-398400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Muneera Bano</a>, Senior Lecturer, Software Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-is-in-fact-a-wrong-way-to-use-google-here-are-5-tips-to-set-you-on-the-right-path-179099" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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New theory behind Stonehenge's true purpose

<p dir="ltr">After an extensive new study, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the true purpose of Stonehenge. </p> <p dir="ltr">Long believed to have been used solely for ceremonial purposes, a study led by Timothy Darvill of Bournemouth University has concluded that Stonehenge served as a solar calendar, and he has identified how it may have worked. </p> <p dir="ltr">The monument, which lies on a flat plain of land in England’s southwest, is adorned with astronomical alignments that were built into the design and orientation of the landmark. </p> <p dir="ltr">The central axis of the megaliths was - and still is - aligned with the sunrise at midsummer and sunset at midwinter, with the stones perfectly framing the rising and setting sun when days were at their longest and shortest.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ring of 30 upright stones, supporting 30 horizontal stones, represents the number of days within a month. </p> <p dir="ltr">As well as this, distinctive stones in the circle mark the start of three 10-day weeks, according to the study. </p> <p dir="ltr">Twelve such months would come to 360, but a group of “trilithons” - a structure formed of two large vertical stones supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top - were arranged in a horseshoe shape in the centre of the site.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Professor Darvill, these represent the extra five days needed to match the 365-day solar year. </p> <p dir="ltr">Four smaller stones that lay outside the circle in a rectangle were a way to keep track of a leap year, with an extra day every four years.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Finding a solar calendar represented in the architecture of Stonehenge opens up a whole new way of seeing the monument as a place for the living,” Prof Darvill said in a news statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A place where the timing of ceremonies and festivals was connected to the very fabric of the universe and celestial movements in the heavens.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite Professor Darvill’s convincing study, some experts are not convinced. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The numbers don’t really add up - why should two uprights of a trilithon equal one upright of the sarsen circle to represent 1 day?” University College London’s Institute of Archaeology professor Mike Parker Pearson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And there’s selective use of evidence to try to make the numbers fit: some of the stones have been left out because they evidently can’t be made to fit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">On top of Bournemouth University's study, the recent discoveries of graves and artefacts near the stone circle have shown that Stonehenge was not home to one isolated group but part of a deeply interconnected world.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Mafia fugitive caught after being spotted on Google Street View

<p>An Italian mafia fugitive has been found after 20 years on the run after being spotted on Google Maps in Spain. </p> <p><span>Gioacchino Gammino, one of Italy's most wanted mobsters, was handed a life sentence after being convicted of murder in 1989, before escaping prison in 2002. </span></p> <p><span>Following his escape, he fled to a town north of Madrid and changed his name before opening a fruit and vegetable shop. </span></p> <p><span>Despite his new identity, Italian police were hot on his tail after spotting him by chance on Google Street View standing outside a grocery shop named </span>El Huerto de Manu, Manu's Garden.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Gammino had since changed his name to Manuel.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Nearby where he was spotted, police found a listing for a restaurant named <span>Cocina de Manu which had been closed for some time.</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Despite the restaurant appearing to be closed, the establishment's Facebook page was still active and showed photos of Gammino proudly posing in chef's clothing, with the menu featuring a specialty <span>Sicilian supper, with a design similar to the iconic poster for <em>The Godfather</em> film.</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>Police recognised the images of Gammino on Facebook thanks to a distinct scar on his chin. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>He was arrested on December 17th, and was baffled at how authorities tracked him down. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>He said after his capture, "How did you find me? I haven't even phoned my family for the last 10 years."</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>Gammino will now be returned to a jail in Italy were he will see out the remainder of his life sentence for murder. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><em>Image credits: Google Maps</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Is this the world's most expensive advent calendar?

<p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p>Chanel have released a luxury advent calendar that has received significant backlash from customers, who claim it is not worth the $1140 price tag.</p> <p>In a video posted on TikTok, influencer Elise Harmon filmed herself unboxing the pricey calendar and revealed the underwhelming contents.</p> <p>The Chanel website purports that each day of the calendar either “contains a full-size fragrance or makeup product, miniature, or other surprise marked with Gabrielle Chanel’s lucky number.”</p> <p>Those willing to fork out the cash for the calendar can purchase it from select Chanel Beauty Boutiques.</p> <p>Harmon can be seen inspecting the calendar to see if it's “worth the hype” but is significantly disappointed when she opens the first item to see a packet of stickers.</p> <p>As she continues to open the calendar, she seems to be somewhat satisfied with a small bottle of Chanel hand cream.</p> <p>The video went viral after racking up over 11 million views and more than 1.7 million likes.</p> <p>Users were quick to share their outrage at the overpriced calendar, with one user writing, “The audacity of the stickers.”</p> <p>Another wrote, “$825USD was spent on the packaging and $25USD for everything….”</p> <p>As the video gained more traction, users in the comments begged Harmon to do another unboxing video, with one user writing, “More please, this is a joke.”</p> <p>In a follow-up video, Harmon posted another clip of her unboxing day 8. She holds up the box and says, “Day 8 was really calling my name.”</p> <p>In a bitter twist, she reveals that the contents were just a tiny dust bag that says “Chanel” on it.</p> <p>“Chanel should be embarrassed” one user responded.</p>

Money & Banking

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The 2022 Australian Firefighters Calendar is back and better than ever

<p dir="ltr">If you’re running out of Christmas gift ideas, never fear: the Australian Firefighters Calendar is here. And they don’t just sell calendars to raise money for charities - with over $3.2 million raised since the first calendar was printed in 1993 - they also sell<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/merchandise/pillowcase-dog-3" target="_blank">pillowcases</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/merchandise/daily-planner-2" target="_blank">planners</a>!</p> <p dir="ltr">Firefighters from the Urban, Rural, Aviation, Armed Forces and Corporate firefighting services have come together for yet another glorious series of calendars. After three weeks of photoshoots, the final products include a calendar with the firefighters on their own, as well as a ‘mixed animal’ calendar, specific animal calendars (cats, dogs, and horses), a summer calendar with numerous beach shots, and an animals only calendar. The summer edition, new for 2022, features the firies in swimming gear instead of their usual fire protection ‘fits.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWC6OJKjND1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWC6OJKjND1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Aus Firefighter Calendar (@australianfirefighterscalendar)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In addition to the calendars, a daily planner is available for $10, and six different pillowcases featuring firefighters with and without animal companions are also for sale.</p> <p dir="ltr">As always, all proceeds will go to charity. Last year, charities supported included the Kids with Cancer Foundation, Rural Aid Australia, Pets of the Homeless, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Precious Paws Animal Rescue, RACQ, and Healing Hooves.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, the calendar is teaming up with US-based Greater Good Charities to support their Rescue Rebuild program. The Rescue Rebuild program is dedicated to renovating animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, and homeless shelters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Director of Partnerships at Greater Good Charities Lesley McCave said, "The Greater Good Charities are so excited to be partnering with the Australian Firefighters Calendar, we have been a huge supporter of their work through our social media channels for years now. This will be the start of a long-lasting partnership on charity projects across the US.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Australian Firefighters Calendar team, the decision to begin supporting US charities was made, in part, as a thank you for the generosity shown by American animal lovers during Australia’s devastating bushfire season in 2019-20. Proceeds from calendar sales in the US helped support the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, which cared for numerous animals, particularly koalas, who were affected by the fires.<br />Australians and Kiwis can pick up a calendar<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/" target="_blank">here</a><span> </span>for $22, or buy all of them as a bundle for $175.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Australian Firefighters Calendar</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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African-American Google employee mistakenly escorted off premises

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel Onuoha was innocently riding his bicycle around the Mountain View, California, Google office where he worked as an associate product manager.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was shocked and confused when he was stopped by security and asked to provide proof of identification, after being reported by someone who thought he was trespassing on company grounds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Riding my bike around Google’s campus and somebody called security on me because they didn’t believe I was an employee,” his recently shared viral tweet read. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Had to get escorted by two security guards to verify my ID badge.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A lot of people keep DM’ing me asking for the full story…<br /><br />They ended up taking my ID badge away from me later that day and I was told to call security if I had a problem with it. And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home <a href="https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG">https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG</a></p> — Angel Onuoha (@angelonuoha7) <a href="https://twitter.com/angelonuoha7/status/1440727156896661511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel’s ID badge was taken off him, as he was instructed to take up the matter with the campus security. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home,” he wrote. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Almost 2,000 people responded to his original tweet as they expressed outrage at how such an incident, largely presumed to be racially motivated, had played out in 2021.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One response was from a black man who said he previously worked in security at another Google campus. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Dawg I worked as security at Google and got security called on me,” he wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel was inundated with messages from individuals who had faced similar acts of discrimination in the workplace. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for Google told </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johanmoreno/2021/09/23/black-google-associate-product-manager-detained-by-security-because-they-didnt-believe-he-was-an-employee/?sh=1ee730742349"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbes</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">the company was taking Mr Onuoha’s “concerns very seriously”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We take this employee’s concerns very seriously, are in touch with him and are looking into this. We learned that the employee was having issues with his badge due to an administrative error and contacted the reception team for help,” the spokesperson said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“After they were unable to resolve the issue, the security team was called to look into and help resolve the issue.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident comes after Google’s public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as they vowed to double its black workforce by 2025.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since its pledge however, black employees have increased by just one per cent, while white employees have declined 1.3 per cent.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Twitter @angelonuha7 / Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Technology

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Google shouldn’t subsidise journalism but the government could

<p>You might have missed it – what with the biggest recession since the 1930s and a pandemic going on – but there may be big, and bad, changes happening to a media landscape near you.</p> <p>Right now the Australian government is considering amending the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to force Google and Facebook to pay local commercial media organisations for the sharing of their content on the digital platforms.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Exposure%20Draft%20Bill%20-%20TREASURY%20LAWS%20AMENDENT%20%28NEWS%20MEDIA%20AND%20DIGITAL%20PLATFORMS%20MANDATORY%20BARGAINING%20CODE%29%20BILL%202020.pdf">News Media and Digital Platforms Bargaining Code</a> proposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will require the tech and media companies to make terms through “mandatory binding arbitration”. It will also oblige them to divulge parts of their core intellectual property (such Google’s search algorithm).</p> <p>It has been lauded as a world-first in addressing the power imbalance between the platforms and traditional news organisations.</p> <p>Champions such as commission chief Rod Sims argue it’s a simple matter of forcing Google and Facebook to pay a fair price for extracting value from journalism for which they pay nothing. As <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/has-rod-sims-cracked-the-digital-code-20200804-p55i9x">Sims put it</a>:</p> <p><em>What this was all about was the imbalance in bargaining power, the market failure that comes from that, and underpayment for news having a detrimental effect on Australian society.</em></p> <p>Who could argue with that? Even federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg has described it as “a question of fairness”.</p> <p>But from an economic standpoint the whole bargaining code is hopelessly confused. It fails to properly understand the source of competitive pressure for media companies, and why they have lost revenues over the last 15 years.</p> <p>Mandatory binding arbitration between tech and media companies is also a completely inappropriate policy tool to achieve the public policy goal of fostering high-quality journalism.</p> <p>As I have <a href="https://promarket.org/2020/09/21/australias-news-media-digital-platforms-bargaining-code-great-politics-questionable-economics/">written about in detail</a> for the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, making the code law risks doing serious harm to Australian consumers while shovelling money to large media companies like Nine Entertainment and News Corp Australia.</p> <p>Faced with the prospect of having to divulge key intellectual property, it would not be surprising if Google and Facebook simply prefer not to be in the Australian market. Millions of Australians using Google, YouTube and Facebook will lose out.</p> <p><strong>Media revenue sinking</strong></p> <p>Between 2002 and 2018, consulting firm <a href="https://alphabeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/australian-media-landscape-report.pdf">AlphaBeta estimates</a> total annual revenue for Australian newspapers fell from A$4.4 billion to A$3.0 billion. Almost all of this was due to lost classified advertising revenue, worth A$1.5 billion in 2002 but just A$200 million in 2018.</p> <p>“That’s Google’s fault,” you might cry.</p> <p>Actually no. The vast bulk of lost classified advertising revenue was due to online “pure-plays” such as Seek, Domain and Carsales. Google and Facebook took basically none of this revenue.</p> <p>The media companies were sitting on a gold mine of classified advertising. Then there was massive technological disruption due to the internet and smart phones.</p> <p>That, as they say in the classics, is show business.</p> <p>It doesn’t justify making companies who happened to succeed in an adjacent space at the same time fork over a chunk of their revenues.</p> <p><strong>But aren’t tech companies ‘stealing’ content?</strong></p> <p>If big tech companies were somehow allowing you and me free access to content we would otherwise have to pay for, there might be a case to answer.</p> <p>That would be like Google Maps not only giving you directions to a restaurant but the means to also avoid paying for your meal.</p> <p>But using a search engine does not allow you to get free meals, nor to get around a news organisation’s pay wall.</p> <p>In fact, having their content pop up in search results, or shared on social media, helps Australian media companies to attract readers and sell subscriptions – something that now accounts for roughly half the revenues of some leading players such as The Australian.</p> <p>All you get for “free” is a snippet of a line or two from the search.</p> <p>For instance, when I searched for news about recently deceased US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I got this:</p> <p>If you can figure out the full content of the article from that snippet, you should be using your superpowers for other, more lucrative purposes.</p> <p><strong>Beware the politics</strong></p> <p>There is a very real risk this misguided code will end up becoming law.</p> <p>An overzealous regulator has proposed something that stands to benefit the big media companies, who are – not surprisingly – strongly for it.</p> <p>Those same media companies have huge influence over public perceptions and the fate of politicians. It will be a brave elected representative who pushes back on the proposed code and draft legislation.</p> <p>But if politicians were serious about resolving the real issue at stake in all of this, they would act more directly.</p> <p>Like newspapers all around the world, Australian media and journalists are under pressure – and one thing most people agree on is that high-quality news and journalism is critical to a well-functioning democracy.</p> <p>Whatever the market forces that have slashed the funding of such journalism, there is a strong case for government intervention. But if the Australian government wants to subsidise high-quality journalism, it should do it itself.</p> <p>With the 10-year bond rate less than 1%, it would cost the government just A$18 million a year to fund the interest bill on A$2 billion of media subsidies a year. That’s 72 cents per Australian a year.</p> <p>And all without driving away the hugely valuable services of companies like Google and Facebook that Australian consumers love.</p> <p><em>Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-holden-118107">Richard Holden</a>, UNSW. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-google-shouldnt-subsidise-journalism-but-the-government-could-146746">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Caring

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No more negotiating: New rules could finally force Google and Facebook to pay for news

<p>Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will be forced to compensate news media companies for using their content, under a <a href="https://theconversation.com/government-orders-mandatory-code-of-conduct-for-google-facebook-136694">new mandatory code</a> to be drawn up by Australia’s competition watchdog.</p> <p>The announcement, <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/josh-frydenberg-2018/media-releases/accc-mandatory-code-conduct-govern-commercial">made by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg today</a>, follows last year’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/digital-platforms-inquiry-final-report">landmark report</a> by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which found that news media businesses lack bargaining power in their negotiations with digital giants.</p> <p>News media businesses have complained for years that the loss of advertising revenue to Google and Facebook threatens their survival. The economic crash caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has turned that crisis into an emergency.</p> <p>Frydenberg <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-20/facebook-and-google-to-face-mandatory-code-of-conduct/12163300">pledged</a> that the latest move will “level the playing field”, adding: “It’s only fair that those that generate content get paid for it.”</p> <p><strong>Power imbalance and tumbling profits</strong></p> <p>A mandatory code of conduct was not the original plan. When the ACCC released its report last year, it suggested that Google and Facebook should each negotiate with news media businesses to agree on how they should fairly share revenues generated when “the digital platform obtains value, directly or indirectly, from content produced by news media businesses”.</p> <p>The report concluded that tech giants are currently enjoying the benefit of news businesses’ content without paying for the privilege.</p> <p>For example, Google’s search results feature “news snippets” including content from news websites. Both Google and Facebook have quick-loading versions of news businesses’ articles that don’t display the full range of paid advertising that appears on the news websites’ own pages.</p> <p>These tactics make it less likely users will click through to the actual news website, thus depriving media businesses of the ensuing subscription and advertising revenue. Meanwhile, as the ACCC report showed, media companies’ share of advertising revenue has itself been slashed over the past decade, as advertisers flock to Google and Facebook.</p> <p><strong>Platforms giveth, platforms taketh away</strong></p> <p>Why don’t news businesses negotiate compensation payments with the platforms themselves, rather than asking the government to step in?</p> <p>The answer is the vast mismatch in bargaining power between Australian media companies and global digital giants.</p> <p>The ACCC report found that digital platforms such as Google and Facebook are “an essential gateway for news for many consumers”, meaning the news businesses rely on them for “referral traffic”.</p> <p>Put simply, much of news companies’ web traffic comes via readers clicking on links from Google and Facebook. But at the same time, these digital giants are dominating advertising revenues and using news companies’ content in competition with them.</p> <p><strong>The pandemic effect</strong></p> <p>The COVID-19 crisis has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-news-corp-idUSKCN21V24H">dealt a further blow</a> to media companies’ advertising revenue, as potential advertisers are forced into economic hibernation or simply go out of business.</p> <p>Content licensing payments from Google and Facebook could provide crucial alternative revenue. But if the payments are structured as a share of advertising income, the publishers will share in Google and Facebook’s own advertising downturn.</p> <p>The ACCC will not unveil the draft code until July, so it is still unclear how the obligations will be implemented or enforced.</p> <p>ACCC chief Rod Sims has <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/big-tech-penalties-will-be-large-enough-to-matter-20200420-p54lce">pledged</a> that Australia’s mandatory code of conduct will feature “heavy penalties” for Facebook and Google if they fail to comply, involving fines that are “large enough to matter”.</p> <p><strong>How might Google and Facebook react?</strong></p> <p>The platforms could conceivably attempt to sidestep the compensation rules by no longer providing users with quick-loading versions of news articles. Google could also cease publishing news snippets at the top of its search results, as it did in Spain when faced with similar obligations.</p> <p>But there is <a href="http://www.newsmediaalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Final-Revised-Spain-Report_11-7-19.pdf">evidence</a>, albeit from <a href="https://www.newsmediaalliance.org/google-news-shutdown-in-spain-not-as-bad-as-google-would-have-you-believe/">news publishers themselves</a>, that this would merely drive readers directly to publishers’ websites.</p> <p>Australia’s decision to abandon negotiations in favour of mandatory rules stands in contrast to the situation in France, the European state most advanced in the implementation of a similar policy flowing from the European Union’s 2019 <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/modernisation-eu-copyright-rules">Copyright Directive</a>.</p> <p>Earlier this month, France’s competition regulator <a href="https://www.autoritedelaconcurrence.fr/en/press-release/neighbouring-rights-autorite-has-granted-requests-urgent-interim-measures-presented">ordered Google</a> to negotiate in good faith with publishers on remuneration for use of content. Any agreed compensation will be backdated to October 24, 2019, when the Copyright Directive became law in France.</p> <p>Google’s previous solution had been to require that publishers license the use of snippets of their content to Google at no charge. But France’s watchdog argued this was an abuse of Google’s dominant position.</p> <p>Google and Facebook are likely to continue to resist these developments in Australia, knowing they could be copied in other jurisdictions.</p> <p>Even if they do cooperate, it’s not yet clear that “levelling the playing field” with the tech giants will make any difference to the collapse of media advertising revenue driven by the coronavirus.</p> <p><em>Written by Katharine Kemp and Rob Nicholls. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-more-negotiating-new-rules-could-finally-force-google-and-facebook-to-pay-for-news-136718">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Movies

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Government orders mandatory code of conduct for Google and Facebook

<p>The government has told the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to develop a mandatory code of conduct to address bargaining power imbalances between media companies and digital platforms such as Facebook and Google - and the question of payment for content.</p> <p>Earlier the ACCC was directed by the government to facilitate a voluntary code. But slow progress and the impact on the media of the coronavirus have convinced the government of the need for more urgent and compulsory action.</p> <p>In its Digital Platforms Inquiry report of last year, the ACCC identified a bargaining power imbalance between news media organisations and these large digital platforms, and recommended codes of conduct to govern commercial relationships.</p> <p>Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher have said in a statement the timeframe needs to be accelerated.</p> <p>“The Australian media sector was already under significant pressure - that has now been exacerbated by a sharp decline in advertising revenue driven by coronavirus,” the ministers say.</p> <p>“At the same time, while discussions between the parties have been taking place, progress on a voluntary code has been limited, according to recent advice provided by the ACCC”.</p> <p>The ministers say the ACCC considers it unlikely any voluntary agreement would be reached on the key issue of payment for content.</p> <p>The code will cover data sharing, ranking and display of news content, and the monetisation and the sharing of revenue generated from news. It will also include enforcement, penalty and binding dispute resolution mechanisms.</p> <p>The ACCC will release a draft before the end of July, and the government wants the code finalised soon after that.</p> <p>The University of Canberra’s 2019 Digital News Report said the majority of surveyed consumers who access news online get this news via indirect methods, such as social media, news aggregators, email newsletters and mobile alerts.</p> <p>According to Nielsen Panel Data for February 2019, Google search had a unique audience of 19.7 million in Australia, and Facebook had a unique audience of 17.6 million.</p> <p><em>Written by Michelle Grattan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/government-orders-mandatory-code-of-conduct-for-google-facebook-136694">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Art

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Woman ordered to pay $530,000 for “plainly untrue” google review

<p>We’re living in a time when it’s easy to get caught up in our emotions, and the moment, to consider ourselves ‘untouchable’ keyboard warriors and let our fingertips do the talking with smart remarks online.</p> <p>But, if ever there was a good reason to learn to pause, take a breath and consider very carefully what you’re posting, it’s a <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/courts-we-attend/supreme-court-of-nsw-king-street-courthouse-corner-king-and-elizabeth-streets-sydney/">New South Wales Supreme Court</a> Ruling which orders a Sydney woman to pay over half a million dollars in damages plus legal costs to a Sydney doctor she left an untrue Google review for</p> <p><strong>The case</strong></p> <p>Cynthia Imisides had already received a nose-job when well-known plastic surgeon, Kourosh Tavakoli, operated on her nose and cheeks in February 2017. She subsequently failed to attend all but one follow-up appointment before telling her ex-husband she’d been charged for an unperformed cheek reduction.</p> <p>Mr Imsides then posted an untrue negative 1-star Google review online.</p> <p><a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/nsw/NSWSC/2019/717.html">The Supreme Court of New South Wales heard</a> that Dr Tavakoli, who bills himself as “the household name for elite plastic surgery in Australia” posts before and after pictures of his “mummy makeovers” to his 156,000 Instagram followers and that his surgery has a 4.8-star rating on Google, over more than 100 reviews.</p> <p>But in the week after Ms Imisides’ review went live on Google, traffic to Dr Tavakoli’s website dropped almost 25 per cent. Her review stated she was “extremely unhappy” with her nose job and alleged the surgeon had no morals.</p> <p>Ms Imisides left the review up for three weeks, refused to apologise, and threw out court documents served upon her.</p> <p>A week before the trial was due to begin in November 2018, she posted a second, untrue Google review in contravention of court orders.</p> <p>When told by Mr Tavakoli’s lawyers to take the review down, she told them to “piss off” and that “I don’t have any money to give you greedy people”.</p> <p>On 24 June 2019, Justice Rothman ruled that the allegations made by Ms Imisides were “plainly untrue”, “extremely serious”, went to the heart of Dr Tavakoli’s exemplary reputation and caused “more than significant” hurt to his feelings.</p> <p><strong>The orders</strong></p> <p>His Honour then made the following orders:</p> <p>“(1) The first defendant [Ms Imisides] shall pay the plaintiff $530,000 as damages for the defamation published and referred to in these reasons for judgment as the first Google review;</p> <p>(2) The first defendant shall pay the plaintiff’s costs of and incidental to the proceedings on an indemnity basis;</p> <p>(3) Neither defendant [being Ms Imisides and her ex-husband] shall create a website of or concerning the plaintiff;</p> <p>(4) The first defendant shall not publish or allow to remain published her Google review, first published on or about 1 September 2017;</p> <p>(5) Neither defendant shall publish, re-publish or allow to remain published any matter containing imputations in or to the effect of those contained in the Google review and prescribed in [40] of the Statement of Claim, filed in these proceedings on 15 September 2017, being:</p> <p>(a) any allegation that the plaintiff charged the first defendant for a buccal fat procedure that he did not perform;</p> <p>(b) any allegation that the plaintiff acted improperly in relation to a buccal fat procedure for the first defendant;</p> <p>(c) any allegation that the plaintiff acted incompetently in relation to a buccal fat procedure for the first defendant;</p> <p>(6) The first defendant shall pay to the plaintiff interest at 4% per annum on $530,000 from 1 September 2017 until the date of judgment and thereafter…</p> <p>(7) The first defendant shall pay to the plaintiff interest on the costs…”</p> <p>But this is not the first time a negative Google review has <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/dentist-sues-over-google-review/">resulted in a defamation suit</a>, and it’s unlikely to be the last.</p> <p><strong>Civil defamation in New South Wales</strong></p> <p>The  <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/">Defamation Act 2005</a> (NSW) is essentially replicated in all Australian jurisdictions.</p> <p>For defamation to be established, three distinct components need to be proved on the balance of probabilities.</p> <p>They are:</p> <p><strong>1. Publication</strong></p> <p>Material must be published (which includes orally communicated) to at least one person other than the party who was allegedly defamed.</p> <p>The publication can occur orally or in writing, whether in print, by way of digital communication or otherwise, but it must be comprehensible.</p> <p><strong>2. Identification</strong></p> <p>The material must identify the allegedly defamed person either directly or indirectly, or be capable of doing so.</p> <p><strong>3. Defamatory meaning</strong></p> <p>The material must be ‘defamatory’ to the ‘ordinary, reasonable’ person, which means it must be likely to:</p> <ul> <li>cause the person to be shunned, shamed or avoided by others;</li> <li>adversely affect the reputation of the person in the minds of right-thinking members of society; or</li> <li>damage to the person’s professional reputation by suggesting a lack of qualifications, skills, knowledge, capacity, judgment or efficiency in his or her trade, business or profession.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Defences to civil defamation</strong></p> <p>Part 4, Division 2 of the Defamation Act lists the statutory defences, which <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/s24.html">section 24</a> makes clear are additional to any others available under the law.</p> <p>The statutory defences are:</p> <p>1. Justification</p> <p>2. Contextual truth</p> <p>3. Absolute privilege</p> <p>4. Public documents</p> <p>5. Fair reporting of proceedings of public concern</p> <p>6. Qualified privilege</p> <p>7. Honest opinion</p> <p>8. Innocent dissemination</p> <p>9. Triviality</p> <p>Time limit</p> <p><a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/la1969133/s14b.html">Section 14B</a> of the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) provides that ‘an action on a cause of action for defamation is not maintainable if brought after the end of a limitation period of 1 year running from the date of the publication of the matter complained of.’</p> <p>However, <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/la1969133/s56a.html">section 56A(2)</a> allows a court to extend that period to up to 3 years from the date of publication, ‘if satisfied that it was not reasonable in the circumstances for the plaintiff to have commenced an action in relation to the matter complained of within 1 year from the date of the publication’.</p> <p>Parties that cannot be defamed</p> <p>Under <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/s9.html">section 9</a> of the Defamation Act, companies with 10 or more employees or which are formed for something other than financial gain cannot sue for defamation.</p> <p><a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/s10.html">Section 10</a> precludes anyone from asserting, continuing or enforcing a cause of action for defamation in respect of a deceased person, or from suing the estate of a deceased person.</p> <p><strong>Offers to make amends</strong></p> <p>Part 3, Division 1 of the Act sets out a range of rules for resolving civil defamation disputes without litigation.</p> <p>The part provides mechanisms for <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/s13.html">offering to make amends</a> without resorting to legal proceedings, and makes clear that any such offers, or admissions made therein, <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/da200599/s19.html">are not admissible</a> in any ensuing litigation.</p> <p><strong>Criminal defamation in New South Wales</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s529.html">Section 529</a> of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) sets out the offence of ‘criminal defamation’.</p> <p>Section 529(3) prescribes a maximum penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment for anyone who, without lawful excuse, publishes a matter defamatory of another living person:</p> <p>(a) knowing the matter to be false, and</p> <p>(b) with intent to cause serious harm to the victim or any other person or being reckless as to whether such harm is caused</p> <p>Section 529(4) provides that a defendant has a lawful excuse lawful excuse if, and only if, he or she would, having regard only to the circumstances happening before or at the time of the publication, have had a defence for the publication if the victim had brought civil proceedings for defamation.</p> <p>Section 529(5) makes clear that the prosecution bears the onus of negativing the existence of a lawful excuse if, and only if, evidence directed to establishing the excuse is first adduced by or on behalf of the defendant.</p> <p>Section 529(7) requires the consent of the DPP before proceedings can be instituted under the section, and subsection (9) states that a prosecution under the section does not a bar civil defamation proceedings.</p> <p><em>Written by Sonia Hickey. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/woman-ordered-to-pay-530000-for-plainly-untrue-google-review/"><em>Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</em></a></p>

Beauty & Style

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Doctor Google makes people anxious

<p>It’s a busy day at the office and your left eye has been twitching uncontrollably. So, out of curiosity and irritation you Google it.</p> <p>Various benign causes — stress, exhaustion, too much caffeine — put your mind at ease initially. But you don’t stop there. Soon, you find out eye twitches could be a symptom of something more sinister, causing you to panic.</p> <p>You ruin the rest of the day trawling through web pages and forums, reading frightening stories convincing you you’re seriously ill.</p> <p>For many of us, this cycle has become common. It can cause anxiety, unnecessary contact with health services, and at the extreme, impact our day-to-day functioning.</p> <p>But our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088761851930218X">recently published research</a>, the first to evaluate online therapy for this type of excessive and distressing health-related Googling, shows what can help.</p> <p><strong>I’ve heard of ‘cyberchondria’. Do I have it?</strong></p> <p>The term “cyberchondria” describes the anxiety we experience as a result of excessive web searches about symptoms or diseases.</p> <p>It’s not an official diagnosis, but is an obvious play on the word “hypochondria”, now known as health anxiety. It’s obsessional worrying about health, online.</p> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11920-008-0050-1.pdf">Some argue</a> cyberchondria is simply a modern form of health anxiety. But <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27497667">studies show</a> even people who don’t normally worry about their health can see their concerns spiral after conducting an initial web search.</p> <p>Cyberchondria <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/ern.12.162">is when searching is</a>:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>excessive:</strong> searching for too long, or too often</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>difficult to control:</strong> you have difficulty controlling, stopping or preventing searching</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>distressing:</strong> it causes a lot of distress, anxiety or fear</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>impairing:</strong> it has an impact on your day-to-day life.</p> </li> </ul> <p>If this sounds like you, there’s help.</p> <p><strong>We tested an online therapy and here’s what we found</strong></p> <p>We tested whether <a href="https://thiswayup.org.au/how-we-can-help/courses/health-anxiety-course/">an online treatment program</a> helped reduce cyberchondria in 41 people with severe health anxiety. We compared how well it worked compared with a control group of 41 people who learned about general (not health-related) anxiety and stress management online.</p> <p>The online treatment is based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), which involves learning more helpful ways of thinking and behaving.</p> <p>Participants completed six online CBT modules over 12 weeks, and had phone support from a psychologist.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300379">treatment</a> explained how excessive web searching can become a problem, how to search about health effectively, and practical tools to prevent and stop it (see a summary of those tips below).</p> <p>We found the online treatment was more effective at reducing cyberchondria than the control group. It helped reduce the frequency of online searches, how upsetting the searching was, and improved participants’ ability to control their searching. Importantly, these behavioural changes were linked to improvements in health anxiety.</p> <p>Although we don’t know whether the program simply reduced or completely eliminated cyberchondria, these findings show if you’re feeling anxious about your health, you can use our practical strategies to reduce anxiety-provoking and excessive online searching about health.</p> <p><strong>So, what can I do?</strong></p> <p>Here are our top tips from the treatment program:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>be aware of your searching</strong>: don’t just search on auto-pilot. Take note of when, where, how often, and what you are searching about. Keep track of this for several days so you can spot the warning signs and high-risk times for when you’re more likely to get stuck in excessive searching. Then you can make a plan to do other things at those times</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>understand how web searches work</strong>: web search algorithms are mysterious beasts. But top search results are not necessarily the most likely explanation for your symptoms. Top search results are often click-bait – the rare, but fascinating and horrific stories about illness we can’t help clicking on (not the boring stuff)</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>be smart about how you search:</strong> limit yourself to websites with reliable, high quality, balanced information such as government-run websites and/or those written by medical professionals. Stay away from blogs, forums, testimonials or social media</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>challenge your thoughts by thinking of alternative explanations for your symptoms:</strong> for example, even though you think your eye twitch might be motor neuron disease, what about a much more likely explanation, such as staring at the computer screen too much</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>use other strategies to cut down, and prevent you from searching:</strong> focus on scheduling these activities at your high-risk times. These can be absorbing activities that take your focus and can distract you; or you can use relaxation strategies to calm your mind and body</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>surf the urge:</strong> rather than searching straight away when you feel the urge to search about your symptoms, put it off for a bit, and see how the urge to search reduces over time.</p> </li> </ul> <p>And if those don’t help, consult a doctor or psychologist.</p> <p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, check out resources about anxiety from <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety">Beyond Blue</a>, the Centre for Clinical Interventions <a href="https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety">Helping Health Anxiety</a> workbook or <a href="https://thiswayup.org.au/">THIS WAY UP</a> online courses.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125070/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jill-newby-193454">Jill Newby</a>, Associate Professor and MRFF/NHMRC Career Development Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eoin-mcelroy-858386">Eoin McElroy</a>, Lecturer in Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-leicester-1053">University of Leicester</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-dr-googles-making-you-sick-with-worry-theres-help-125070">original article</a>.</em></p>

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