FIRST, DO NO SEARCH:

Microsoft Examines Causes of ‘Cyberchondria’ (JOHN MARKOFF, 11/25/08, NY Times)

If that headache plaguing you this morning led you first to a Web search and then to the conclusion that you must have a brain tumor, you may instead be suffering from cyberchondria.

On Monday, Microsoft researchers published the results of a study of health-related Web searches on popular search engines as well as a survey of the company’s employees.

The study suggests that self-diagnosis by search engine frequently leads Web searchers to conclude the worst about what ails them.

Ignorance is health.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 25, 2008 1:19 PM