Merge pull request #245 from very-good-science/Add-28-02-24-meeting-info

Add 28 02 24 meeting info

site/join_in/join_in.md

@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ Please read our [Code of Conduct](code-of-conduct) before attending.
 ## Upcoming meetings
 | Date (dd.mm.yyyy, UK time)                            | Discussion Material |
 |--------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
-| [14.02.2024](meetings/2024/02-feb/14-02-24_meeting), 1pm  | [Italian Supervisory Authority clamps down on Replika chatbot](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506#english)|
-| [28.02.2024](meetings/2024/02-feb/28-02-24_meeting), 1pm  | To be decided|
+| [28.02.2024](meetings/2024/02-feb/28-02-24_meeting), 1pm  | [Google Search Really Has Gotten Worse, Researchers Find](https://www.404media.co/google-search-really-has-gotten-worse-researchers-find/)|
 | [13.03.2024](meetings/2024/03-mar/13-03-24_meeting), 1pm  | To be decided|
 | [27.03.2024](meetings/2024/03-mar/27-03-24_meeting), 1pm  | To be decided|
 
@@ -31,7 +30,8 @@ Please read our [Code of Conduct](code-of-conduct) before attending.
 You can see a record of what we have discussed previously here.
 | Date | Discussion Material | Summary |
 |-------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
-| [31.01.2024](meetings/2024/01-jan/31-01-24_meeting), 1pm  | [Duolingo cuts workers as it relies more on AI](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/10/duolingo-ai-layoffs/)| Coming Soon |
+| [14.02.2024](meetings/2024/02-feb/14-02-24_meeting), 1pm  | [Italian Supervisory Authority clamps down on Replika chatbot](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506#english)| Coming soon |
+| [31.01.2024](meetings/2024/01-jan/31-01-24_meeting), 1pm  | [Duolingo cuts workers as it relies more on AI](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/10/duolingo-ai-layoffs/)|  [Read the write up](../write_ups/2024/31-01-24_writeup) |
 | [17.01.2024](meetings/2024/01-jan/17-01-24_meeting), 1pm  | New Years Data Ethics Resolutions | [Read the write up](../write_ups/2024/17-01-24_writeup) | 
 | [06.12.2023](meetings/2023/12-dec/06-12-23_meeting), 1pm | [Anatomy of an AI-Powered Malicious Social Botnet](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.16336.pdf) | [Read the write up](../write_ups/2023/06-12-23_writeup) |
 | [22.11.2023](meetings/2023/11-nov/22-11-23_meeting), 1pm | [Implementation of an ethics checklist at Seattle Children's Hospital](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7936507/pdf/ocaa307.pdf) | [Read the write up](../write_ups/2023/22-11-23_writeup) |
@@ -96,4 +96,4 @@ You can see a record of what we have discussed previously here.
 :hidden:
 code-of-conduct.md
 contributing.md
-```
+```

site/join_in/meetings/2024/02-feb/28-02-24_meeting.md

@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 
 <!-- 
 TODO:
-- [ ] Change to a new branch (DD-MM-YY_meeting)
-- [ ] Copy this template to meetings/YEAR/DD-MM-YY_meeting.md (put in actual year + date)
-- [ ] Put in the Event time on: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedform.html and copy result to LINK-TO-TIMEDATE
-- [ ] Change all ALL-CAPS placeholders in this form
-- [ ] Update the hyperlinks at the bottom of the template
+- [x] Change to a new branch (DD-MM-YY_meeting)
+- [x] Copy this template to meetings/YEAR/DD-MM-YY_meeting.md (put in actual year + date)
+- [x] Put in the Event time on: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedform.html and copy result to LINK-TO-TIMEDATE
+- [x] Change all ALL-CAPS placeholders in this form
+- [x] Update the hyperlinks at the bottom of the template
 - [ ] Add link to the new file in meetings.md
 - [ ] Update the next-meeting.md file
 - [ ] Pull request!
@@ -24,21 +24,35 @@ Usual time 13:00-14:00
 
 [Zoom link][zoom]
 
-Link to content: [CONTENT-NAME][content]
+Link to content: [Google Search Really Has Gotten Worse, Researchers Find][content]
 
 ### Description
 You're welcome to join us for our next Data Ethics Club meeting on [28th Feb 2024 at 1pm UK time][timedate]. 
 You don't need to register, just pop in. 
-This time we're going to watch/read [NAME OF CONTENT][content] by AUTHOR(S), which is a VERY-SHORT-DESCRIPTION. 
+This time we're going to watch/read [Google Search Really Has Gotten Worse, Researchers Find][content] by Jason Koebler, which discusses a research paper that finds a lot of spam making its way into search results of product reviews. 
 
-Thank you to PERSON-WHO-SUGGESTED for suggesting this week's content, and to SESSION-LEADER, who'll be leading this week's meeting.
+Thank you to Euan Bennet for suggesting this week's content.
+
+You can read [this article](https://www.404media.co/google-search-really-has-gotten-worse-researchers-find/) on 404 media by subscribing for free or read the original research paper that it was based on by [Bevendorff et al](https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf) which will be presented at ECIR in March.
+
+### Summary
+
+The researchers analysed search results for 7392 product reviews on three different search engines: Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo. They monitored results for these product review searches generating and archiving results every two weeks for one year. They find several issues among the higher-ranked pages:
+
+- they often contain more affiliate marketing than the average product review
+- they often show signs of lower text quality e.g. by using repetitive vocabulary
+- spam sites and review farms (i.e. seemingly generated listicles without any editorial content) keep finding ways to creep to the top result
+
+These websites leverage known SEO (search engine optimisation) features such as length of the content and URL depth, i.e. how many files follow after the domain. All of this will probably get worse as AI-generated spam will swamp the internet, which is a trend the researchers are starting to observe. They can also see search engines reacting by kicking spam sites of high ranks with every update, but some spam sites manage to make a comeback over their year long analysis period.
+
+In a reply, Google pointed out that the study only focuses on the narrow application area of product review content and that they performed better than other search engines.
 
 ### Discussion points
 
 There will be time to talk about whatever we like, relating to the paper, but here are some specific questions to think about while you're reading.
-- DISCUSSION-POINT-ONE
-- DISCUSSION-POINT-TWO
-- DISCUSSION-POINT-THREE
+- Does this research reflect your own experience of how search engines have evolved? What about for searches outside of product reviews?
+- The 404 article also refers to other investigations of search engine optimisation such as one from the Verge that “[blamed it for ruining the internet](https://www.theverge.com/features/23931789/seo-search-engine-optimization-experts-google-results?ref=404media.co)”. Do you agree? Who or what do you think is responsible for the decreasing quality of search results?
+- Can you imagine better, more equitable or more useful features that could guide search engine optimisation in making the web searchable?
 
 ---
 
@@ -56,5 +70,5 @@ Shall we email the author? If so, who'll send the email?
 -->
 
 [timedate]: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Data+Ethics+Club&iso=20240228T13&p1=299&ah=1
-[content]: CONTENT-LINK  
+[content]: https://www.404media.co/google-search-really-has-gotten-worse-researchers-find/  
 [zoom]: https://bristol-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94475153265  

site/join_in/meetings/next-meeting.md

@@ -1 +1 @@
-<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=2024/02-feb/14-02-24_meeting.html" />
+<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=2024/02-feb/28-02-24_meeting.html" />