This article discusses the problem of the perception of the reality that is displayed within the World Wide Web focusing mainly on facebook, twitter and google. It outlines the fact that filters are used in order to display the information to users. Facebook, for example, uses an algorithm to collect the content the user is able to see. As a result a user sees mainly the information of people or sources he has often contacted in the past and the probability that he sees other information of people he hasn’t contacted within a long time is comparably low. Facebook doesn’t publish the complex algorithm but confirmed the vague explanation mentioned before.
But more interesting is the discussion about the filters that are used whether they are necessary and what are the implications of filters?
According to Zuckberg filter are necessary (“the facebook effect“) and yes, there are some advantages of filters, they try to give the user orientation within the information flood of the World Wide Web. But it also has a dangerous side, when users don’t know about the functions of filters and stop to questioning the information they get displayed, for the reason that with this function the worldview of the user is intensified. Therefore not knowing of the impact of filters could give user the impression that the whole world has the same believes even though it just a result out of the user defined part of the World Wide Web that is displayed. Contrary discussions, which are fundamental for further development, are not possible within an environment that uses filters, which leads to questions and concerns when observing the fast increasing usage of the Internet as well as social networks for an increasing amount of actives.
Sources
Die ganze Welt ist einer Meinung - Konrad Lischka writes about the pre-filtered web
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/0,1518,750111,00.html
(This article is unfortunately in German. I could not find a similar article in English. Nevertheless I think the problem that is discussed is highly interesting and relevant and therefore I like to share my thoughts concerning this article with you.)
Megasuccessful - Paul Boutin writes about the Book “the facebook EFFECT“
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704002104575291330385856628.html
1 comment:
I don't know if it was intended like this but concerning changing perceptions I also like this article (Michael Seeman) about Queryology:
http://www.ctrl-verlust.net/queryology-i-das-ende-der-medien/
Thoughts going into the same direction as Susannes article.
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