4 ms·

We had a preview of what was to come in the early 90's right before the Internet went mainstream (though I'll argue the Internet was not truly mainstream until

We had a preview of what was to come in the early 90's right before the Internet went mainstream (though I'll argue the Internet was not truly mainstream until a little after 2000 when broadband connections were widely available). At least where I lived at the time, it seemed like the number of channels on cable TV quadrupled, and the number of radio stations catering to different genres also increased. So people's attention was already being chopped up and "bubbled". I feel the "fractioning" effect of streaming whereby everyone is in their own personal bubble is simply a later stage of a trend that was underway in the early 90's. Regarding an algorithm picking what is visible to you, it's not very much different than a TV or radio broadcaster selecting programs that he/she will think will sell advertisements. It's simply faster, more efficient, and outside some legal liabilities because it's done by software and not human beings. It's a shame that so much is going into making the Internet obey the one-direction broadcast-and-corporate-controlled TV model, though. The Internet was supposed to be for end-user freedom and control. But Facebook and Twitter, for example, shows that when you give a bit of that capability to large numbers of people, you don't get fantastic results (but the owners will make a lot of money). Most people seem content to take a mostly passive relationship with their screens, participating in their tribes' regularly scheduled outrages, regardless of the size or technology behind them. I don't think things will ever change too much for most people. Same town, pay taxes to a different king. It's mostly about companies figuring out how to sidestep existing companies and regulations.

reroute1 7y ago
Weren't there like 4 TV channels to begin with. It's been trending this way for a long time.
whiddershins 7y ago
But I can change curation bubbles when they are explicit. I can change channels or listen to a different radio show. When the algorithm is customized for “me” and opaque, I don’t have that option. This has deep implications.
- pandesmos 7y ago
  Yes absolutely. It’s destructive to curiosity too imo. If you do go and search for something outside the algorithmic expectation it can break things hard (oh, you looked at a thing about shoes? Let me give you nothing but that). Which makes me hesitant about search terms on some platforms. Potentially this can be fixable in the long term, but I think humans will almost always(?) be superior curators. Mostly because they’re approaching it from “this is what I like” and not “this is what I know you’re going to like.”
  - ummwhat 7y ago
    It isn't destructive to curiosity if the algorithm puts you in the curious person demographic. The other week I got a video recommendation for how to extract lidocaine out of anal lube. I don't use lidocaine, I don't use anal lube, and I don't know shit about chemistry, yet here I am enjoying this impossibly niche video. The problem isn't algorithms. The problem is bad algorithms. Lately YouTube has been on point.
  - clarry 7y ago
    > Potentially this can be fixable in the long term, but I think humans will almost always(?) be superior curators. Mostly because they’re approaching it from “this is what I like” and not “this is what I know you’re going to like.” This is why I like that youtube actually recommends music channels, mixes and compilations that are curated and uploaded by humans. It'll be a sad day when totalitarian copyright enforcement makes this a thing of the past.
- heymijo 7y ago
  This is a GREAT point. I forget how Netflix has pigeon-holed me until I visit a friend and see drastically different choices on their accounts.
thrav 7y ago
If anyone has any doubt about this being something people foresaw in the 90's, read Infinite Jest. My buddy told me it was his favorite book, so I've been slogging through it for a while. It took effort to reach the heart of it, but holy shit there is so much brilliance scattered throughout. David Foster Wallace basically lays out the creation of Netflix, with the only exception being a miss on instant streams of HD content. He also covers the impact this might have on traditional media and advertising industries. If you haven't read it, and are up for a book that takes effort, it's really something.

reroute1 7y ago

Weren't there like 4 TV channels to begin with. It's been trending this way for a long time.

whiddershins 7y ago

But I can change curation bubbles when they are explicit. I can change channels or listen to a different radio show. When the algorithm is customized for “me” and opaque, I don’t have that option. This has deep implications.

pandesmos 7y ago
Yes absolutely. It’s destructive to curiosity too imo. If you do go and search for something outside the algorithmic expectation it can break things hard (oh, you looked at a thing about shoes? Let me give you nothing but that). Which makes me hesitant about search terms on some platforms. Potentially this can be fixable in the long term, but I think humans will almost always(?) be superior curators. Mostly because they’re approaching it from “this is what I like” and not “this is what I know you’re going to like.”
- ummwhat 7y ago
  It isn't destructive to curiosity if the algorithm puts you in the curious person demographic. The other week I got a video recommendation for how to extract lidocaine out of anal lube. I don't use lidocaine, I don't use anal lube, and I don't know shit about chemistry, yet here I am enjoying this impossibly niche video. The problem isn't algorithms. The problem is bad algorithms. Lately YouTube has been on point.
- clarry 7y ago
  > Potentially this can be fixable in the long term, but I think humans will almost always(?) be superior curators. Mostly because they’re approaching it from “this is what I like” and not “this is what I know you’re going to like.” This is why I like that youtube actually recommends music channels, mixes and compilations that are curated and uploaded by humans. It'll be a sad day when totalitarian copyright enforcement makes this a thing of the past.
heymijo 7y ago
This is a GREAT point. I forget how Netflix has pigeon-holed me until I visit a friend and see drastically different choices on their accounts.

thrav 7y ago

If anyone has any doubt about this being something people foresaw in the 90's, read Infinite Jest. My buddy told me it was his favorite book, so I've been slogging through it for a while. It took effort to reach the heart of it, but holy shit there is so much brilliance scattered throughout. David Foster Wallace basically lays out the creation of Netflix, with the only exception being a miss on instant streams of HD content. He also covers the impact this might have on traditional media and advertising industries. If you haven't read it, and are up for a book that takes effort, it's really something.