Tom writes, > Quoting Cook, the Apple CEO, Stephen wrote: >> >> Apple Goes on the Attack... filter bubbles and confirmation bias ... > > I don't think search and social media companies set out to be evil. They were > not trying > to broaden the tastes of their readers, or act as a bulwark of democracy, > just sell stuff.
Yes, agreed that search and social media companies aren’t evil .. just idiotic regarding their effect on people. When it comes to sinister plots, or stupidity, I’d suggest it’s stupidity every time. And, that’s what Cook is getting at. Cook writes .. Algorithms have magnified our worst tendencies and “rogue actors and even governments” have used our data against us “to deepen divisions, incite violence and even undermine our shared sense of what is true and what is false.” In one piercing portion, Mr. Cook criticized how companies like Facebook and Google — while taking care not to mention them by name — deliver personalized news feeds that lead to so-called filter bubbles and confirmation bias. “Your profile is then run through algorithms that can serve up increasingly extreme content, pounding our harmless preferences into hardened convictions,” Mr. Cook said. “If green is your favorite color, you may find yourself reading a lot of articles — or watching a lot of videos — about the insidious threat from people who like orange.” And I think he’s right. Sure, he has a vested interest in promoting Apple’s apparent “hands off” their customer data. But .. something is turning America into a “them and us” society. Lately the U.S, seems polarized on every issue like never before. Even Jim Carrey at a speech this week joked, “One half of America at this moment believes there is a sinister deep state diabolically plotting, to … what? Give them health care?” And something must be causing this social attitude-divide. Besides just their current clown-buffoon president in one corner. And hence, I think what Cook says about algorithms might indeed be very right. In presenting what the U.S. reader wants to read, it’s greatly reinforcing polarized beliefs. There is no opposite viewpoints being presented .. and so the middle ground can no longer hold. And so .. with these mindless algorithms .. thus progresses the social downfall of America. Regards, Stephen _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
