Hi Rob, Thanks for your recent list to the ahem, list ;-)
I was reading this article -- Will self-piloting vehicles rob us of the last of our privacy and autonomy? http://reason.com/archives/2013/05/10/googles-driverless-future I have been reading much about algorithms lately. By definition, algorithms are a set of rules used for solving a set of problems. Yet, if we consider the social aspects regarding how algorithms are used to assess our behaviours, things get awkward and a bit hazy. Studying the use of algorithms according to millions of users on the Web, has become a kind of dark art. I found this paragraph from the article interesting --- "The driverless car, in short, is a data detective’s dream, a device that can discern when you get a new job, how many one-night stands you have, how often you go to the dentist. As demarcation lines between the real world and the virtual world continue to blur, autonomous cars will function not so much as browsers but links, the way we get from one appointment or transaction opportunity to the next. In theory, Google will determine the route to your desired destination based on distance, available infrastructure, and current traffic conditions. But what if Google, which already filters cyberspace for you, begins choosing routes as a way of putting you in proximity to “relevant content”?" I'm wondering what yourself and others think about this, whether anyone is sceptical about how algorithms are being used or if anyone has a more positive stance on matter? chat soon. marc _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
