On my first round-the-world trip in 2006, I planned everything out in advance. I knew where I was going, staying for how long, and how 1 would get there. And then half-way through I ditched the plan and went with the flow(随大流). Over the years, how I plan my travel has changed. Now, I’m a last-minute planner and seldom travel with any plan.

Traveling without a plan gives you great flexibility (灵活性). Since nothing is booked far in advance, you can turn to something different when you change your mind or something better comes along. I changed my plans to meet a friend on an island in Thailand and stayed for a month. I wouldn’t have had that experience if I had kept to my planned schedule.

However, most new travelers are the opposite — they overplant their trips. Their whole journey is scheduled. Two days here, three days there. I understand why people do that. When time is short, you want to see as much as possible. You don’t want to waste a single second.

Actually, it is better to slow down your pace. Spending more time in one place allows you to get a better feel for the rhythm of life. You can visit at a more relaxed pace, see more than just the attractions, and open up your schedule to the happy accidents of travel.

When I first made my travel plan, I tried to include everything in it. Then I realized it was unrealistic, and revised my plan. I came up with a list of one or two things I want to see each day and spaced everything out. It’s an important lesson to learn. I think the best trip plan is to work out the general path you want to take, book the first few nights of your trip, and let your travels unfold from there. This way you are never locked into a certain place if your feelings change.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took out full-page ads in British and American newspapers on Sunday to apologize for the Cambridge Analytica scandal（丑闻）, admitting the quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked（泄漏）Facebook data of millions of people was a “betrayal of trust”.

Since the scandal broke, the public has become more aware and concerned about how their online behavior may be used for purposes to which they have not agreed. It emphasizes the urgent need for better protection of personal information.

To better protect personal data privacy（隐私）, targeted laws are needed. More effective cooperation should be carried out to protect people’s privacy online as soon as possible.

Countries, such as the United States and China in particular, which are global leaders in the use of big data should accelerate legislation（立法）on how it can be collected and for what purposes it can be used.

At the same time, a closer watch should be kept on the world’s major internet companies, such as Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu to ensure they do not acquire unnecessary personal information or misuse the information they obtain. Despite the huge challenge such personal data protection may pose to their established profit-making models, these companies should know that the more powerful they are, the bigger responsibilities they shoulder.

Strengthened efforts for personal privacy protection do not mean that big data must not be used, but that it is used appropriately. Big data is like a mountain or gold, and overemphasis on its security at the expense of its use will undoubtedly waste a valuable resource. The key problem is how to promote its use while guaranteeing people’s privacy to be protected.

How to Spot Misinformation Online

Anyone can post something online, which may reach thousands of people. Therefore, you are likely to encounter some misinformation. 【小题1】. Here are some tips for you to check what you see online.

Pause and be skeptical about new information. Whenever you come across an article or a post sharing information that you haven’t seen before, take a second to consider it. 【小题2】. It’s better to look into information to make sure it’s legal before spreading it around.

【小题3】. Look up the information at the source to see if it was actually published there. Double-check the date of the article or information to make sure it’s current and still accurate. For instance, an article that talks about new COVID-19 cases from 12 months ago may not be accurate right now.

Search online for the information in other sources. Look up the information online to see if other news organizations are also saying similar things. 【小题4】, the information could be false. For instance, if you see an article about a wildfire in the rainforest, search online to see if other organizations are also covering it.

Watch out for information that sets off a strong emotional response. Misinformation is often designed to make you feel angry, sad, scared, or just upset. If you spot an article or a headline that causes you to feel a strong emotion, be cautious. It would be a sign that it’s false and designed to get a reaction out of you. 【小题5】.