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by Overtonwindow 3724 days ago
Well, few things give more attention to something than attempts to bury it.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

3 comments

I believe the Streisand effect is usually false. 99% of the time censorship works, and you only hear about the rare 1% of times when the public found out.

Particularly I'm familiar with moderating a large subreddit. It's amazing what mods can get away with, and users have no clue. Since all removals are silent. So many people shadowbanned and have no idea and just keep commenting like normal.

A search with bing for 'uc davis' highlights three recent articles written about their coverup. Streisand's effect indeed!
...with Bing?
The article describes how the SEO firm specifically targeted Google search results, so yes, I'd run that search with Bing too.
Yeah come on get with the program. The consultants told us we have to use Google services so their search engine will like us.
why would you mention a specific search engine?
If a tester entered a bug and you can't repro because the bug doesn't specify the environment, you'd rip 'em a new one. But someone uses two measly words to describe their test environment in this case, and now you question them about their eloquence?

Or maybe I have you wrong, so I'll ask: why would you ask why someone mentioned a specific search engine?

In case someone searched "UC Davis" and didn't find 3 articles in the results on Google or DuckDuckGo or some other search engine.

I didn't find that specification particularly odd, personally.

It wouldn't be weird if the specific search engine mentioned was Google.
I wonder how many more years until large bodies (used in a company/regulatory sense) understand this.

Unless their attempt is to gain coverage on something - trying to hide it is going to have the opposite effect due to social media...it seems like so many people are aware of the Streisand effect except everyone in a PR position.

On the other hand, if there are companies that have succeeded in quietly optimizing away their critics, then we wouldn't know.
Yes, you're right on that. A form of survivorship bias - as it isn't really possible to know all the big happenings that have gone unknown.
They've got no obligation to tell their clients about it. If it all blows up the client is only going to need more PR work.