An example of political interference in Science
Earl Evleth
April 5, 2008
Health Database Was Set Up to Ignore ŚAbortioną
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON ‹ Johns Hopkins University said Friday that it had programmed its
computers to ignore the word łabortion˛ in searches of a large, publicly
financed database of information on reproductive health after federal
officials raised questions about two articles in the database. The dean of
the Public Health School lifted the restrictions after learning of them.
A spokesman for the school, Timothy M. Parsons, said the restrictions were
enforced starting in February.
Johns Hopkins manages the population database known as Popline with money
from the Agency for International Development.
Popline is the worldąs largest database on reproductive health, with more
than 360,000 records and articles on family planning, fertility and sexually
transmitted diseases.
Mr. Parsons said the development agency had expressed concern after finding
łtwo articles about abortion advocacy˛ in the database. The articles, he
said, did not fit database criteria and were removed.
Employees who manage the database instructed their computers to ignore the
word łabortion˛ as a search term.
After learning of the restrictions on Friday, the dean, Dr. Michael J. Klag,
said: łI could not disagree more strongly with this decision, and I have
directed that the Popline administrators restore Śabortioną as a search term
immediately. I will also launch an inquiry to determine why this change
occurred.˛
The school is named for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, a Hopkins
alumnus who has given millions of dollars to the university and the school.
Dr. Klag said the school was łdedicated to the advancement and dissemination
of knowledge, and not its restriction.˛
Ted Miller, a spokesman for Naral Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights
group, said: łThe public has a right to know why someone would censor
relevant medical information. The Bush administration has politicized
science as part of an ideological agenda. So itąs important to know if that
occurred here.˛
A woman answering telephones at the Agency for International Development
said officials were not available because they were at a retreat.
Librarians at the Medical Center of the University of California, San
Francisco, expressed concern about the restrictions this week after they had
difficulty retrieving articles from Popline.
In an e-mail response on Tuesday, Johns Hopkins told the librarians that
łabortion˛ was no longer a valid search term.
łWe recently made all abortion terms stop words,˛ Debra L. Dickson, a
Popline manager, wrote. łAs a federally funded project, we decided this was
best for now.˛
Ms. Dickson suggested that instead of using łabortion,˛ librarians could use
other terms like łfertility control, postconception˛ or łpregnancy,
unwanted.˛
Gail L. Sorrough, director of medical library services at the medical center
in San Francisco, said it was absurd to restrict searches using ła perfectly
good noun such as Śabortion.ą ˛
Under the rule, Popline ignored the word łabortion,˛ just as it ignores
terms like ła˛ and łthe.˛ Ms. Sorrough and a colleague, Gloria Won, reported
their experience on an electronic mailing list, and librarians protested the
restrictions.
łWe sent this out on a listserv, and it just exploded,˛ Ms. Sorrough said.
łEliminating this term essentially blocks access to reports in the database
and ultimately to information about abortion. Unwanted pregnancy is not a
synonym for abortion.˛
Items on Popline include articles on łdemand for abortion by unmarried
teenagers˛ and federal judgesą abortion rulings.
Bawana
Abortion is very unhealthy for unborn infants.
Perhaps they could do an Un-Health Database...
chemist
>
> By ROBERT PEAR
>
> WASHINGTON ‹ Johns Hopkins University said Friday that it had programmed its
> financed database of information on reproductive health after federal
> officials raised questions about two articles in the database. The dean of
> the Public Health School lifted the restrictions after learning of them.
>
> A spokesman for the school, Timothy M. Parsons, said the restrictions were
> enforced starting in February.
>
> Johns Hopkins manages the population database known as Popline with money
> from the Agency for International Development.
>
> than 360,000 records and articles on family planning, fertility and sexually
> transmitted diseases.
>
> Mr. Parsons said the development agency had expressed concern after finding
> said, did not fit database criteria and were removed.
>
> Employees who manage the database instructed their computers to ignore the
>
> After learning of the restrictions on Friday, the dean, Dr. Michael J. Klag,
> directed that the Popline administrators restore Œabortion¹ as a search term
> immediately. I will also launch an inquiry to determine why this change
> occurred.²
>
> The school is named for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, a Hopkins
> alumnus who has given millions of dollars to the university and the school.
>
> of knowledge, and not its restriction.²
>
> Ted Miller, a spokesman for Naral Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights
> relevant medical information. The Bush administration has politicized
> occurred here.²
>
> A woman answering telephones at the Agency for International Development
> said officials were not available because they were at a retreat.
>
> Librarians at the Medical Center of the University of California, San
> Francisco, expressed concern about the restrictions this week after they had
> difficulty retrieving articles from Popline.
>
> In an e-mail response on Tuesday, Johns Hopkins told the librarians that
>
> ³We recently made all abortion terms stop words,² Debra L. Dickson, a
> Popline manager, wrote. ³As a federally funded project, we decided this was
> best for now.²
>
> Ms. Dickson suggested that instead of using ³abortion,² librarians could use
> other terms like ³fertility control, postconception² or ³pregnancy,
> unwanted.²
>
> Gail L. Sorrough, director of medical library services at the medical center
> good noun such as Œabortion.¹ ²
>
> Under the rule, Popline ignored the word ³abortion,² just as it ignores
> terms like ³a² and ³the.² Ms. Sorrough and a colleague, Gloria Won, reported
> their experience on an electronic mailing list, and librarians protested the
> restrictions.
>
> ³Eliminating this term essentially blocks access to reports in the database
> and ultimately to information about abortion. Unwanted pregnancy is not a
> synonym for abortion.²
>
> teenagers² and federal judges¹ abortion rulings.
What has Abortion another left wing issue got to do with AGW
except that both are based on pseudo science/
Bill Habr
"Earl Evleth" <evl...@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:C41D799C.11BD5A%evl...@wanadoo.fr...
>
> April 5, 2008
>
> Health Database Was Set Up to Ignore OAbortioną
>
> By ROBERT PEAR
>
>
> WASHINGTON < Johns Hopkins University said Friday that it had programmed its
> computers to ignore the word łabortion˛ in searches of a large, publicly
> financed database of information on reproductive health after federal
> officials raised questions about two articles in the database. The dean of
> the Public Health School lifted the restrictions after learning of them.
>
> A spokesman for the school, Timothy M. Parsons, said the restrictions were
> enforced starting in February.
>
> Johns Hopkins manages the population database known as Popline with money
> from the Agency for International Development.
>
> Popline is the worldąs largest database on reproductive health, with more
> than 360,000 records and articles on family planning, fertility and sexually
> transmitted diseases.
>
> Mr. Parsons said the development agency had expressed concern after finding
> łtwo articles about abortion advocacy˛ in the database. The articles, he
> said, did not fit database criteria and were removed.
>
> Employees who manage the database instructed their computers to ignore the
> word łabortion˛ as a search term.
It seems more like some employees tried and succeeded in making a mountain out of a mole
hill.
Apparently two articles "did not fit database criteria and were removed." After which,
"Employees who manage the database instructed their computers to ignore the word
abortionas a search term."
Removing two articals which do not fit the database criteria is a reasonable response but
the "Employees who manage the database" wanted an incident and created one.
>
> After learning of the restrictions on Friday, the dean, Dr. Michael J. Klag,
> said: łI could not disagree more strongly with this decision, and I have
> directed that the Popline administrators restore Oabortioną as a search term
> good noun such as Oabortion.ą ˛
Paul E. Lehmann
My experience with Johns Hopkins is NOT favorable.
I live about 70 miles from JH in Central Maryland.
They, Johns Hopkins (JH) are SUPPOSED to be
experts in prostate research. I have been VERY
disappointed with their care. I have received
better and more understanding care from the
Veterans Administration Medical Center in
Martinsburg, West Virginia. I am a disabled
Vietnam Veteran.
For example: Hopkins refused to do IV sedation for
prostate biopsy despite knowing past biopsies
resulted in much pain from chronic prostatic
inflamation.
VAMC said not a problem, IV sedation approved AND
the sampling routine included the same number of
samples as JH.
Doctor at VAMC, a young African American Urologist
seemed more up to date and a HELL of a lot better
at patient doctor relationship than JH.
JH does not seem to not know of my past history,
UNLESS I TELL THEM. VAMC has VERY up to date
computer records along with graphics at a mouse
click. JH seems light years BEHIND VAMC in IT.
If VAMC is am example of "Socialized Medicine"
---- I APPROVE. I realize the VA has a lot of
issues regarding health care for veterans but SO
DOES the SO CALLED "Free Enterprise System".
Experience of a significant other with heart
disease at JH with similiar results. They did
not seem to know what the hell was going on with
recent studies regarding heart disease despite
appointments with two cardiologtists who were
supposedly RESEARCH cardiologist.
Other horror stories abound about JH. - just from
people I know who who have been treated
(mis-treated) there.
They MAY be a fine TEACHING???? instution BUT
their practical application ----- SUCKS
IF, you have a loved one who is considering
treatment at JH - get a second opinion.
Bawana
They are both part of the lib-turds "better living through self-
delusion".
Alzheimer's earl got it bad.