My friend Kevin Savetz dropped me a note to tell me about a new Internet Archive initiative: Ted Nelson’s Junk Mail. From the about page: “Throughout his long and varied career, pioneer and visionary Ted Nelson investigated technical possibilities of all kinds. He checked reader service cards from magazines in a wide variety of industries, unleashing torrents of further information on products, services and academic research…. After looking, Dr. Nelson threw these in cartons, which have survived by accident. These items are now being scanned in and presented for browsing at the Internet Archive. Whether for nostalgia, reference or research, this collection gives deep insight into the self-image and language of many companies, as well as the visual style of many long-lost aspects of the 20th century’s industries.”
Google Searches for ‘Cheap Cigarettes’ Spike at Tax Increases: Evidence from an Algorithm to Detect Spikes in Time Series Data (Oxford Academic)
Nicotine and Tobacco Research: Google Searches for ‘Cheap Cigarettes’ Spike at Tax Increases: Evidence from an Algorithm to Detect Spikes in Time Series Data. “Online cigarette dealers have lower prices than brick-and-mortar retailers and advertise tax-free status 1-8. Previous studies show smokers search out these online alternatives at the time of a cigarette tax increase 9-10. However, these studies rely upon researchers’ decision to consider a specific date and preclude the possibility that researchers focus on the wrong date. The purpose of this study is to introduce an unbiased methodology to the field of observing search patterns and to use this methodology to determine whether smokers search Google for ‘cheap cigarettes’ at cigarette tax increases and, if so, whether the increased level of searches persists.”
Radio Free Asia: Vietnam’s State Media Now Look to Social Media For Timely, Accurate News
Radio Free Asia: Vietnam’s State Media Now Look to Social Media For Timely, Accurate News. “State-controlled media in Vietnam are looking more and more to private citizens’ postings on social media as sources of objective information and for leads to news stories, according to Central Propaganda Department chief Vo Van Thuong, speaking on June 20 at a press conference in Hanoi.”
FindMyPast Having a Free Access Weekend for British, Irish Records
FindMyPast is having a free access weekend for British and Irish records.
Moscow Times: Russia Blocks Google Temporarily in Tax Dispute
Moscow Times: Russia Blocks Google Temporarily in Tax Dispute. “Russia’s media watchdog blocked internet giant Google for several hours on Thursday in a bid to enforce a tax ruling made in 2016. Google.ru appeared on Russia’s register of banned sites for approximately three hours on Thursday afternoon, with a number of internet providers restricting users’ access.”
Canada Newswire: Canada’s History Archive launched in celebration of Canada Day 2017 (PRESS RELEASE)
Canada Newswire: Canada’s History Archive launched in celebration of Canada Day 2017 (PRESS RELEASE). “For decades, The Beaver magazine offered a window on a world rarely seen by most Canadians — the Far North. Sharing stories of the fur-trade era to modern times, The Beaver was a rich national resource for researchers and history lovers alike. Now — in time for Canada’s 150th anniversary — The Beaver’s entire catalogue of back issues is being made available online — for free — via a new mobile-responsive Archive launching today.”
Unredacted: New Digital National Security Archive Set Publishes Thousands of Declassified Iraq War Docs
Unredacted: New Digital National Security Archive Set Publishes Thousands of Declassified Iraq War Docs. “The National Security Archive, working with our partners at ProQuest, is publishing a new compilation of documents on the Iraq war, one of the most consequential events in recent history—for the United States, Iraq, the Middle East, and the international community. The 2,141-page collection of primary source documents, Targeting Iraq, Part I: Planning, Invasion, and Occupation, 1997-2004, will illuminate the path to war and its many unanticipated consequences. Information in the collection will also be useful in examining an issue of continuing concern: the politicization of intelligence to serve political ends.”
