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> Things like recommendation and engagement algorithms So, how does this work for something like a search engine? Does Google/Bing/DDG need to get an audit fro

> Things like recommendation and engagement algorithms So, how does this work for something like a search engine? Does Google/Bing/DDG need to get an audit from the government that their recommendation algorithm is sufficiently non-creative so as to be not publishing?

sanderjd 6y ago
Seems like push rather than pull matters? Recommendations are pushed, search results are pulled.
- labcomputer 6y ago
  You submit a query. The search engine then makes an editorial decision based on that query about the order in which to rank the results.
ben_w 6y ago
I hadn’t thought of that before, but you’re right. I’m not sure how to properly distinguish between the case of “I’m a veterinarian so when I search for ‘mouse’ I mean the animal not the peripheral” versus the case of “I click on all the conspiracy theories so when I search for ‘president’ I mean the Satanic space-lizard who kidnapped Elvis and eats babies”.
- dsr_ 6y ago
  I am not against requiring people to put in more words to get better results. mouse => computer mouse | house mouse | feeder mice | common mouse diseases president => PTA president | US president | lizard president
  - joshuamorton 6y ago
    This is, I'll note without any judgement, a surprisingly anticapitalist opinion. You're essentially saying that you don't want to allow companies to compete on how good the product is from a consumer perspective (as a consumer, I value not having to precisely describe my search queries, I don't want to have to write SQL in my search tool!).
    - derekp7 6y ago
      But also, when I search Google, I want to know if what category the results list is coming from. The recommendation engines have gotten so bad that I quite frequently will use private browsing on a lot of my searches that are intended for a single-use purpose (like when I read about something and want more info on it), without having to have future searches (or advertisements!!!) coming back in my face. A simple example is when I bring up a playlist on Youtube for when one of the grandkids is over. Well I really don't want my default recommendations to be mostly 70's metal but contaminated with The Wheels On The Bus peppered through the playlist.
  - leetcrew 6y ago
    okay, but I'm against me having to type more to get the same results.

sanderjd 6y ago

Seems like push rather than pull matters? Recommendations are pushed, search results are pulled.

labcomputer 6y ago
You submit a query. The search engine then makes an editorial decision based on that query about the order in which to rank the results.

ben_w 6y ago

I hadn’t thought of that before, but you’re right. I’m not sure how to properly distinguish between the case of “I’m a veterinarian so when I search for ‘mouse’ I mean the animal not the peripheral” versus the case of “I click on all the conspiracy theories so when I search for ‘president’ I mean the Satanic space-lizard who kidnapped Elvis and eats babies”.

dsr_ 6y ago
I am not against requiring people to put in more words to get better results. mouse => computer mouse | house mouse | feeder mice | common mouse diseases president => PTA president | US president | lizard president
- joshuamorton 6y ago
  This is, I'll note without any judgement, a surprisingly anticapitalist opinion. You're essentially saying that you don't want to allow companies to compete on how good the product is from a consumer perspective (as a consumer, I value not having to precisely describe my search queries, I don't want to have to write SQL in my search tool!).
  - derekp7 6y ago
    But also, when I search Google, I want to know if what category the results list is coming from. The recommendation engines have gotten so bad that I quite frequently will use private browsing on a lot of my searches that are intended for a single-use purpose (like when I read about something and want more info on it), without having to have future searches (or advertisements!!!) coming back in my face. A simple example is when I bring up a playlist on Youtube for when one of the grandkids is over. Well I really don't want my default recommendations to be mostly 70's metal but contaminated with The Wheels On The Bus peppered through the playlist.
- leetcrew 6y ago
  okay, but I'm against me having to type more to get the same results.