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Facts about COVID-19


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https://swprs.org/facts-about-covid-19/

 

I started a previous thread to ask the question of why we believe what we believe.

 

Surely a rational and level-headed society constantly searches for new information to make the most informed choices possible.

 

It's not about politics, obviously.  It's about all of our welfare as human beings.

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The website of Swiss Policy Research, an anonymous, pseudo- scientific research group that claims to be exposing pro-NATO propaganda. The site has published false claims, including about COVID-19.
Proceed with caution: This website severely violates basic journalistic standards.
Score: 17.5/100

 

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1 minute ago, Tiberius said:


The website of Swiss Policy Research, an anonymous, pseudo- scientific research group that claims to be exposing pro-NATO propaganda. The site has published false claims, including about COVID-19.
Proceed with caution: This website severely violates basic journalistic standards.
Score: 17.5/100

 

Still more legit than the washington post

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15 hours ago, {::'KayCeeS::} said:

https://swprs.org/facts-about-covid-19/

 

I started a previous thread to ask the question of why we believe what we believe.

 

Surely a rational and level-headed society constantly searches for new information to make the most informed choices possible.

 

It's not about politics, obviously.  It's about all of our welfare as human beings.

 

Hi.  Sorry to intrude.     @{::'KayCeeS::} PM'd me about this site asking if I was aware of it.  I wasn't.  This is my take FWIW, no salesman will call, I have no intention to hang here much less fact-curate here.

 

First of all the site is set up to look very good and authoratative, with references and a quote from Camus about honesty.  After review, I would say that's probably ironic. 

 

Right off the bat, the front page "overview" states as factual things that are not considered factual but at best emerging or debatable by sources I consider reputable.

 

Digging further into two statements made, that I know something about, I find that they appear to be well referenced, but in fact the references used are highly selective, with some good factual references dismissed as inappropriate for one or another reason and focus on rather ratty data.  This isn't a case of new information or suppressed information being brought forth; it's a case of being highly selective about which sources are utilized and which disregarded, not in a way which relates to the scientific merit or soundness of the data.

 

Intrigued, I looked into the background of the site itself.  In contrast to sites I consider legitimate, I can not find information about the contributors maintaining the Covid-19 section of this site or their credentials or affiliations, nor can I trace the ownership or the funding of this site.   For a scientist, this is a Giant Red Flag. If you are a reputable scientist, you sign your work and stand behind your views.  You also disclose potential conflicts of interest in funding.  If you aren't willing to do so, there's usually a reason - and it's not a favorable reason indicating openness, transparency, and willingness to withstand challenge.

 

So, digging into the website itself a bit, I find that some well-respected Swiss sources believe the site to be propaganda generated outside Switzerland:

https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/147252/1/Medienstrukturen.pdf

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/faktenfuchs-wie-glaubwuerdig-ist-swiss-policy-research,S128XLH

 

If you don't read German, Wiki says this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Propaganda_Research

Prior to May 2020, the site was known as "Swiss Propaganda Research"

The editors of the site are unknown

Stephan Russ-Mohl, professor of journalism and media management at the Università della Svizzera italiana, considers the articles on the SPRS to themselves serve as propaganda, rather than being serious research on the subject. He has noted that the anonymity of the website creates doubts over the reliability and authenticity of its research, particularly in a country such as Switzerland, which has full freedom of its press

 

I would not consider this a reputable source of information about covid-19.  @{::'KayCeeS::}Thanks for sending me the PM with the link.  I slept on it and decided to put this up since I saw it had been posted here. 

 

Not to worry, I won't be back.  Please don't tag me in your subsequent discussion though if you do, I have a fine collection of Naomi Wu videos that shall be at your service.


 

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3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Hi.  Sorry to intrude.     @{::'KayCeeS::} PM'd me about this site asking if I was aware of it.  I wasn't.  This is my take FWIW, no salesman will call, I have no intention to hang here much less fact-curate here.

 

First of all the site is set up to look very good and authoratative, with references and a quote from Camus about honesty.  After review, I would say that's probably ironic. 

 

Right off the bat, the front page "overview" states as factual things that are not considered factual but at best emerging or debatable by sources I consider reputable.

 

Digging further into two statements made, that I know something about, I find that they appear to be well referenced, but in fact the references used are highly selective, with some good factual references dismissed as inappropriate for one or another reason and focus on rather ratty data.  This isn't a case of new information or suppressed information being brought forth; it's a case of being highly selective about which sources are utilized and which disregarded, not in a way which relates to the scientific merit or soundness of the data.

 

Intrigued, I looked into the background of the site itself.  In contrast to sites I consider legitimate, I can not find information about the contributors maintaining the Covid-19 section of this site or their credentials or affiliations, nor can I trace the ownership or the funding of this site.   For a scientist, this is a Giant Red Flag. If you are a reputable scientist, you sign your work and stand behind your views.  You also disclose potential conflicts of interest in funding.  If you aren't willing to do so, there's usually a reason - and it's not a favorable reason indicating openness, transparency, and willingness to withstand challenge.

 

So, digging into the website itself a bit, I find that some well-respected Swiss sources believe the site to be propaganda generated outside Switzerland:

https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/147252/1/Medienstrukturen.pdf

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/faktenfuchs-wie-glaubwuerdig-ist-swiss-policy-research,S128XLH

 

If you don't read German, Wiki says this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Propaganda_Research

Prior to May 2020, the site was known as "Swiss Propaganda Research"

The editors of the site are unknown

Stephan Russ-Mohl, professor of journalism and media management at the Università della Svizzera italiana, considers the articles on the SPRS to themselves serve as propaganda, rather than being serious research on the subject. He has noted that the anonymity of the website creates doubts over the reliability and authenticity of its research, particularly in a country such as Switzerland, which has full freedom of its press

 

I would not consider this a reputable source of information about covid-19.  @{::'KayCeeS::}Thanks for sending me the PM with the link.  I slept on it and decided to put this up since I saw it had been posted here. 

 

Not to worry, I won't be back.  Please don't tag me in your subsequent discussion though if you do, I have a fine collection of Naomi Wu videos that shall be at your service.


 

 

Hapless, I appreciate your dedication to this.  As always everyone can read and make up their own mind.

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7 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Not to worry, I won't be back.  Please don't tag me in your subsequent discussion though if you do, I have a fine collection of Naomi Wu videos that shall be at your service.


 

Yes!! Sorry, had to reply to that after looking up who “she” was lol 

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24 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

At your service.  Here's one for apartment dwellers.  And yes, she.  When she gets up and you see the bottom half of that outfit 😂

 

 

 

...I check for the top half at Party City weekly.....always out of stock....dammit................

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