Brilliant use of search data

[msmemory_archive]

NY Times reports that Google is now charting the spread of the flu using aggregated search data superimposed on zip/state data. If there's a spike in searches on "flu symptoms" for example, in New England, then the hypothesis is that there is an uptick in the incidence of flu. The data are supporting the notion, too. That is SO COOL.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/technology/internet/12flu.html

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's hypothetically possible, but I don't see a practical way to manage the geographic balance of the spoofing.

And yet, while not trivial (it is some work), it is not particularly hard.

It depends on exactly how it is that Google does geographic plotting of requests. I know how my employer does it, and a few of our competition, and all of them can be spoofed with little at-home effort.