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Danny Sullivan of Google said on Twitter that the search company is "working on improving our responses" to making edits to some of the data shown in knowledge panels. The issue here is with some professors having a title professor but others gaining a subtitle, like law professor, and if that is correct or not.
Here is the issue as documented by Lisa L. Ouellette:
Anyone know how the Google Knowledge Panel algorithm decides which professors get a "professor" subtitle? pic.twitter.com/7tnXgeUyIX
— Lisa L. Ouellette (@PatentScholar) August 10, 2021
Danny Sullivan explained that Google automates this process "based on references we see across the web." But Danny said you can verify the profile and/or make edits or report the issue. The issue with that is, Google doesn't allow for all types of edits as Lisa said:
Thanks, but I did that and got a reply that the change "isn't supported at the moment." And I'm less concerned about my own subtitle than about the apparent gender skew in which US law professors get subtitled "Professor" by the algorithm.
— Lisa L. Ouellette (@PatentScholar) August 11, 2021
Here is where Danny Sullivan said Google is "working on improving our responses in such cases, to give better guidance."
We working on improving our responses in such cases, to give better guidance. As to the broader issue, I’ll pass this on so we can look at improving. It also helps if the references across the web are also more equitable…
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) August 11, 2021
Thanks
— Lisa L. Ouellette (@PatentScholar) August 11, 2021
So I guess we will see over time how Google improves the editing of knowledge panels.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
