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1.  

   human nature

   

   erica stjohn, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 2:54pm

   
   

   I think its the people that need the programming adjsutment, not the data or search engines. Peopel are too pessimistic

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2.  

   human nature

   

   erica stjohn, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 2:54pm

   
   

   I think its the people that need the programming adjsutment, not the data or search engines. Peopel are too pessimistic

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3.  

   Re: human nature

   

   Cliff De Witt, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 2:58pm

   
   

   I may be a pessimist but I am glad to say that I am frequently wrong.
   
   It feeds my masochistic side.

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4.  

   Well....

   

   Blackup, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 3:12pm

   
   

   Maybe people should just stop searching for diagnoses on 4chan...

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5.  

   Re: Well....

   

   DS78, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 3:18pm

   
   

   Exactly. Too many tentacle related diseases on there anyways...

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6.  

   where do u draw the line?

   

   mogilny, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 3:45pm

   
   

   Is searching for weight loss or ED information going to get filtered as well? Who gets to decide what is "good"? And what happens if someone has a brain tumour and is told to drink more water?

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7.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 3:46pm

   
   

   good idea by M$ i think, but as usual barking up the wrong tree.
   
   improving search engine results is something all the search engines should work on, and ppl who has odd symptoms should consider taking an appointment at the doctors.

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8.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 3:58pm

   
   

   No, now I've got Cyberchondria too?
   
   I don't think it really matters. If you have symptoms, you are probably checking for a worst case scenario.
   
   The key is to provide more information. You don't need an MRI to diagnose a headache. So someone providing a web service with medical guidance on when to contact a doctor might be useful.
   
   For instance, if:
   a)you rate you headache as a 8+ on a scale of 10.
   b)the room is spinning
   c)you have trouble standing on one leg
   d)you haven't consumed alcohol
   You probably have vertigo.
   Schedule a doctor's appointment within a week, if symptoms persist.
   
   I'd use that service all of the time. Especially if it was for kids.

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9.  

   

   ipanema, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 4:14pm

   
   

   i get hits from people who are looking for symptoms of a certain illness since i have some posts touching on some maladies. but just the other day i got one who searched for: "desperately seeking doctors". i'm not sure what the person was feeling then. i was forming conclusions. i hope that person is ok.
   
   thanks for the post.

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10.  

    

    Dave Thewlis, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 4:15pm

    
    

    This malady used to be called Intern's Disease, after the tendency for medical students to suddenly come down with the most severe symptoms of whatever disease they were studying. It might be logical to see what the medical profession has done in the past to guard or warn against this propensity.

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11.  

    Re:

    

    zcat, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 4:16pm

    
    

    Good idea. Except that sooner or later some guy dies of an undiagnosed brain tumor and they get sued into oblivion.

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12.  

    Re:

    

    Great Googly Goo, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 4:47pm

    
    

    It looks like Google already has something similar.
    
    But yeah, when people start being cheap and using Google for medical diagnosis... Well, that seems scary.

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13.  

    Cybercondria

    

    NullOp, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 5:13pm

    
    

    Actually, pharmaceutical companies are probably working on a drug to control it!!! No kidding! IMHO, the drug companies long ago decided that everyone must have a 'treatable' disease for which they can manufacture a 'cure.' Although, they are not interested in curing anything. Its much more profitable to treat symptoms! You think i'm kidding....think about it!

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14.  

    I have a headache

    

    David, Dec 2nd, 2008 @ 3:14am

    
    

    I knew one of those sort of hypochondriac folk well. I used to have an aquaintance (note the PAST tense!) who was a teacher and a musician and didn't really live in the real world, like a lot of people in those professions I have found, although I've no wish to tar them all with the same brush. He claimed to be a highly-strung, sensitive and vulnerable soul, susceptible to every malady under the sun it seemed and every time we did anything as simple as going out for a drink I was treated to a bulletin on the latest afflictions. I think they ranged from numerous "chest infections" (a cold to the likes of you and me) to having a private course of "cranial osteopathy" to treat some obscure disease that he claimed to have. Of course, the internet is a god-send for people like that. Print out the "symptoms", march into your doctor, tell him what you've got (makes him a bit superfluous really, doesn't it?) and get a cure. Simple really. Don't know why more people don't do it.

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15.  

    

    John, Dec 2nd, 2008 @ 3:30am

    
    

    Been going on for years - see 'Three Men in a Boat' by Jerome K. Jerome.
    
    Just using a different source.
    
    John

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16.  

    cyberchondria

    

    Gene Cavanaugh, Dec 2nd, 2008 @ 8:31pm

    
    

    People who are that paranoid would react to any attempt at filtering with more paranoia. Such an attempt would make their condition worse; they would still feel they had a loathsome disease, and that people were trying to keep them from knowing (maliciously, of course).

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