3 ms·

I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. I've been having this ever increasing in frequency issue where Gmail Search just doesn

I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. I've been having this ever increasing in frequency issue where Gmail Search just doesn't working. Not that it doesn't return search results but rather that it returns what I know to be incorrect results. I have an email with some account information that I access a couple times a year at most but will consistently need at least once a year. Just infrequently enough that I can't remember the exact contents. I know exactly what the subject line of the email is and it's a suggested search query in Gmail but about 2 years ago Gmail just stopped being able to find it. I can navigate to the email via label or star just fine but I can no longer search for it. Is it because it's an 8 year old email? idk what the reasoning is but Gmail as deemed it irrelevant and stopped returning it as a search result. This isn't a platform issue either, it happens in App, or browser on multiple devices.

FakeComments 8y ago
I’ve made a career out of going “a bad business plan + computers is still a bad business plan”. It’s not just Google.
- prewett 8y ago
  I'm curious how you make of career of not doing a bad business plan.
  - FakeComments 8y ago
    You get hired to be the subject matter expert on economic models, then you remind executives who consult with you that their plans don’t get better just by adding computers (or fancy math of any form). Eventually, even when you get fired because they tired of you being a nag, you write down all the times your nagging was right, and someone else hires you to be the math nag, because corporations have accepted they need them — even if they’ll also eventually fire you for being right. There’s easier ways to make money with the same skill set.
    - cptskippy 8y ago
      > There’s easier ways to make money with the same skill set. Yes but some people really love to nag. I work in enterprise for similar reason, I really like sighing at things.
rootusrootus 8y ago
> I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. Seems like it ends up working somewhat like China's social credit policy, but without specific intent. As long as you always conform enough to fall into the normal area of the algorithm you're good, but get off towards one edge for any reason and you quietly get [effectively] booted off the 'net.
busyant 8y ago
> I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. With all the hand-wringing about what happens when the "computers" take all of our jobs, I think you crystallized how it all ends for us. It won't be a cinematic extinction of humanity. We will just be ignored--each of us trying to talk to a machine with a human voice, and each of us perpetually on-hold.
- ddalex 8y ago
  What a beautiful premise for a short story. Write it!

FakeComments 8y ago

I’ve made a career out of going “a bad business plan + computers is still a bad business plan”. It’s not just Google.

prewett 8y ago
I'm curious how you make of career of not doing a bad business plan.
- FakeComments 8y ago
  You get hired to be the subject matter expert on economic models, then you remind executives who consult with you that their plans don’t get better just by adding computers (or fancy math of any form). Eventually, even when you get fired because they tired of you being a nag, you write down all the times your nagging was right, and someone else hires you to be the math nag, because corporations have accepted they need them — even if they’ll also eventually fire you for being right. There’s easier ways to make money with the same skill set.
  - cptskippy 8y ago
    > There’s easier ways to make money with the same skill set. Yes but some people really love to nag. I work in enterprise for similar reason, I really like sighing at things.

rootusrootus 8y ago

> I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. Seems like it ends up working somewhat like China's social credit policy, but without specific intent. As long as you always conform enough to fall into the normal area of the algorithm you're good, but get off towards one edge for any reason and you quietly get [effectively] booted off the 'net.

busyant 8y ago

> I feel like as they leave more and more up to the algorithms, we suffer. With all the hand-wringing about what happens when the "computers" take all of our jobs, I think you crystallized how it all ends for us. It won't be a cinematic extinction of humanity. We will just be ignored--each of us trying to talk to a machine with a human voice, and each of us perpetually on-hold.

ddalex 8y ago
What a beautiful premise for a short story. Write it!