Title: ProMED, a Leading Disease-News Network, Faces Closure Amidst Internal Dissent
Date: [Insert Date]
Source: McCreary County Record
ProMED, a volunteer disease-news network renowned for its early alerts on global outbreaks such as COVID-19, MERS, and SARS, is currently facing a critical internal dissent that could potentially lead to its closure. The network’s Chief Content Officer, Jarod Hanson, recently revealed on July 14 that ProMED is experiencing severe financial strain due to the unauthorized data scraping and reselling of its valuable content.
In light of this financial crisis, Hanson proposed various measures to salvage ProMED, including disabling RSS and Twitter feeds, imposing access restrictions on its archives, and introducing paid subscriptions as a means of generating sustainable revenue. However, an unexpected turn of events unfolded on August 3 as an open letter addressed by 21 volunteer moderators and editors was published. The letter expressed their lack of prior knowledge regarding Hanson’s proposal and their decision to suspend their work for ProMED indefinitely.
Shockingly, following the publication of the open letter, the signatories were promptly locked out of ProMED’s dashboard, further exacerbating the discord within the network. This sudden suspension of ProMED’s services raises concerns among public health professionals who have long relied on the network’s timely and accurate information for over two decades. ProMED has undeniably played a crucial role in providing early warnings of numerous outbreaks, establishing it as a highly reputable source of information.
What sets ProMED apart from other platforms is its unique ability to deliver human-curated intelligence. Its dedicated team of moderators and editors possesses the expertise to sift through vast amounts of data and distinguish genuine news from fabricated reports—a capability that is yet to be replicated successfully by AI-driven platforms.
The ongoing dispute between ProMED’s leadership and its moderators serves as a catalyst for broader discussions about the significance of human-curated information in a world that increasingly prioritizes artificial intelligence. This development underscores the vital need for platforms like ProMED, which combine the invaluable human touch with informational accuracy.
As the fate of ProMED hangs in the balance, the global community awaits a swift resolution to this detrimental internal conflict. The indispensable role that ProMED has played in safeguarding public health over the years must be acknowledged, and the importance of preserving the network’s operations underscored.
In the coming days, the McCreary County Record will continue to closely monitor any further developments regarding ProMED and its potential closure.
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