More and more our lives are being controlled by mathematical calculations.\u00c2\u00a0 Algorithms determine the results we get from search engines, the ads we see on the internet, the posts we see on Facebook.<\/p>\n
They are also the only thing that explains the very unsuitable videos that are recommended to me on Youtube.\u00c2\u00a0 First, I have to explain that I watch a strange variety of things on Youtube.\u00c2\u00a0 True crime, bizarre history, the supernatural, Disney park information, oddball humor and so forth.<\/p>\n
There are some subjects, however, that I never watch.\u00c2\u00a0 So why, after watching a video about haunted castles in Scotland, does Youtube start pushing British soccer videos? I never watch sports.<\/p>\n
I see my favorite humor channel has a new video and immediately click.\u00c2\u00a0 The host also makes gaming videos.\u00c2\u00a0 The next time I go to Youtube, my recommendations are flooded with Fortnite.<\/p>\n
Watch a Disney ride?\u00c2\u00a0 Youtube decides I want to see roller coasters.\u00c2\u00a0 Not the same thing.\u00c2\u00a0 Watch a video about the wonderful Sherlock Holmes actor Jeremy Brett?\u00c2\u00a0 I am suddenly awash in that awful Will Ferrell movie.\u00c2\u00a0 Watch a trailer for a movie I actually do want to see, and I’m drowned in celebrity gossip.<\/p>\n
But I have to ask myself… do I actually want the algorithms to get better?\u00c2\u00a0 Do I want the internet to know me and my tastes?\u00c2\u00a0 On one side is convenience, on the other… hmmm.<\/p>\n
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More and more our lives are being controlled by mathematical calculations.\u00c2\u00a0 Algorithms determine the results we get from search engines, the ads we see on the internet, the posts we see on Facebook. They are also the only thing that explains the very unsuitable videos that are recommended to me on Youtube.\u00c2\u00a0 First, I have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-random-thoughts","tag-internet-weirdness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.middleclasspoor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}