The online economy—from search to email to social media—is built in large part on the fact that consumers are willing to give away their data in exchange for products that are free and easy to use. The assumption behind this trade-off is that without giving up all that data, those products either couldn't be so good or would have to come at a cost.

    But a new working paper, released this week by Lesley Chiou of Occidental College and Catherine Tucker of MIT, suggests that the trade-off may not always be necessary. By studying the effects of privacy regulations in the EU, they attempted to measure whether the anonymization(匿名化) of search data hurts the quality of search results.

    Most search engines capture user data, including IP addresses and other data that can identify a user across multiple visits. This data allows them search companies to improve their algorithms(算法) and to personalize results for the user. At least, that's the idea. To determine whether storage of users' personal data improves search results, Chiou and Tucker looked at how search results from Bring and Yahoo differed before and after changes in the European Commission's rules on data retention(数据保存). In 2008 the Commission recommended that search engines reduce the period over which search engines kept user records. In response, Yahoo decided to strengthen its privacy policy by anonymizing user data after 90 days. In 2010 Microsoft changed its policy, and began deleting IP addresses associated with searches on Bring after six months and all data points intended to identify a user across visits after 18 months. In 2011 Yahoo changed its policy again, this time deciding to store personal data longer—for 18 months rather than 90 days—allowing the researchers yet another chance to measure how changes in data storage affected search results.

    The researchers then looked at data from UK residents' web history before and after the changes. To measure search quality, they looked at the number of repeated searches, a signal of dissatisfaction with search results. In all three cases, they found no statistically significant effect on search result quality following changes in data retention policy. In other words, the decision to anonymize the data didn't appear to impair the search experience. “Our results suggest that the costs of privacy may be lower than currently perceived,” the authors write, though they note that previous studies have come to different conclusions.

    Kenya-Giraffe Conservation

    Preserve and protect Kenya's Wildlife

    After some difficult years, Kenya is back in fashion and welcoming travellers with open arms, with one main aim—help save and protect their unique wildlife. It isn't just the elephant under threat, but it's the smaller species that are also suffering, for example, Rothschild Giraffes. Now there are only 670 left in the wild and they need your help to survive.

    How can you help?

    Head out to the Soysambu Conservancy, which is home to more than 450 bird species and over 50 different mammals, including lions, zebra and more than 100 critically endangered Rothschild's Giraffes.

Get stuck into general reserve conservation but primarily focus on the research and protection of their resident Rothschild Giraffes, which is the reserve's main priority.

    Your Daily Tasks

    Work will be a combination of observational research and hands on work—five days a week.

    Minimum number of weeks is 2. This project is perfect for anyone with a passion for nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors.

    No previous conservation experience required.

    Where will you live?

    You will stay in the houses right in the middle of the reserve with other volunteers.

    The weekends will be free time, so you can explore further up the Rift Valley, Lake El-menteita itself and beyond.

Interested in this; ready to enquire?

    Find out more by filling out the form below and clicking send. The Leap Overseas should then be in touch shortly to help with your enquiry.

    Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

    One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

    As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

    As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

    "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in, they'll die."

    "But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

    The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish, and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."

    There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, we will gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future.

    We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be better.

    In one of the old buildings near our school, one could see an old man sitting by a large window on the first floor. His name was James. During the three years at school, I had hardly ever found him missing from his usual position.

    He was a high-ranking government official and lived happily with his wife. Once there was a bus accident, in which a number of passengers were seriously injured and were taken to the hospital for treatment. James was responsible for the rescue operation. It was a big hospital, but James was shocked to notice how ill-equipped it was. There were no enough life-saving drugs and life—supporting equipment.  The injured and their companions had to struggle there. James attempted to help. However, though he emptied his pockets, many of them died that day.

    That was a turning point in his life. He made a decision to devote his life to helping others, particularly the poor and needy patients and their companions. He began spending much of his income on these people. Since this required a lot of time and energy, he found it difficult to fulfill(履行) his official duties and therefore chose to retire, which, in turn, reduced his income considerably.

    His wife was deeply worried. Most of the time, James was out and paid least attention to home affairs. Meanwhile, as he was spending a lot helping others, she had to struggle even to meet the household expenses. Though she was not opposed to his helping the poor, she urged him not to overlook his own life and home, but it had no effect on him. One day they had a heated argument and in the end she left him, never to return. Though he continued with his work, this was a great blow and did serious harm to his health and enthusiasm and was soon forced to stay indoors. That was when he took his position by the window, spending his time looking outside.

    A few weeks after my graduation, I returned to school, only to find the buildings gone. I heard that they were torn down. All the people left except James. He refused to go and the next morning, he was found at his usual place by the window, dead.

Channel Islands

The two main islands, Jersey and Guernsey, are remarkable in that they present a combination of enjoyment peace and quiet. Neither island is very big (only ten miles long) and so all parts of these coasts are easily reached from the main centers — St. Helier and St. Peter Port. In both these towns and particularly in Jersey's St. Helier are concentrated (集中) the amusements of really big resorts (休养地). The nearness of France gives a continental atmosphere; the weather is far better than that in England. The other three islands, Jethou, Herm and Sark are small and quiet.

Isles of Scilly

The islands are really small and quiet; and the weather is warm but windy. The islands are excellent for those who enjoy exploring (探险) small inlets (水湾), creeks (小溪) and bays on foot, or even better in a boat.

Isle of Wight

The island is 24 miles across and therefore quite large. The scenery is good and varied. The resorts are neither overlarge nor showy. The crowds seem content with entertaining but quieter holidays. The island has the best sunshine record in Britain.

Isle of Man

An island with unique atmosphere — in some indefinable (难以描述的) way it is different from England, Scotland or Wales. Thirty miles long, with good roads and good public transport, the mountains, hills and glens (幽谷) are easily reached. Douglas is a major British resort and other resorts are lively.

When Zhi Yueying,then 19,went to the remote Niyang village in Yichun City,Jiangxi Province,to work as a village teacher in 1980,villagers were doubtful if she was going to stay long.

Over the past four decades,Zhi has devoted herself to rural education.She is a recipient of Touching China awards that recognize the most inspiring role models in 2016.She was also awarded as a model poverty fighter by the government.Zhi has a profound understanding of the importance of education in the mountains.Over the years,she has taught the students and cared for them,since many of them were "left-behind" children whose parents migrated to other places to work.More than 1,000 students of hers have left the mountain area,and created a better life for themselves.

Located amid the mountains,the village was very poor and far from any town.Villagers had to hike in the mountains."I arrived at the school in an early evening,and was shocked.I had known the conditions were poor,but the reality was worse." Moreover,local people needed to go downhill to buy daily necessities,and transport them back in their hands or balanced across their shoulders."I had never walked uphill on a mountain road before,so I walked much more slowly than others;sometimes I walked slowly behind too much and was scared to tears," says Zhi.Sometimes she had to walk uphill by herself with a flashlight at night.The wild boars and rabbits sometimes frightened her and she enhanced her courage by singing loudly.

But she gradually got used to her life there.At the beginning,she found many local people valued their sons far more than their daughters,and would not like to let them attend school.Zhi went to their homes repeatedly and gradually persuaded them to send all their children to school.For those who could not afford the tuition,she spared her own money to help.

Zhi says seeing her students do well beyond the mountains is deeply rewarding."My dream,the same as before,is to stay by the side of more children.I know poverty will forever say goodbye to the mountainous villages,to my students,and to myself," says Zhi.