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Well I'm making the assumption that our behaviors, beliefs, values, knowledge, personality etc (the algorithm that is "you") are directly influenced by all of o

Well I'm making the assumption that our behaviors, beliefs, values, knowledge, personality etc (the algorithm that is "you") are directly influenced by all of our inputs (visual, auditory, sensory etc). Sure there are other inputs during a 24 hour day, but the Internet, and sitting in front of a computer screen are pretty damn dominant. So if you take that assumption, at face value there should be significant "programming" happening. Now most of the time, it's yourself that is doing the programming. e.g. you browse content (articles, videos etc) that you actively search for, or actively select out of a feed of possible content. The idea with recommendation engines is that within the next few years, they will become far more advanced. So now assume that you have algorithms that can serve you content that you absolutely love with 99% accuracy - 99 out of 100 HN stories you're like "OMFG THIS IS AMAZING". At that point, you will very rarely search for information any more. You'll still do so from time-to-time, but ultimately I think people will sit on a platform and just have content after content delivered to them. And already, the newsfeed nature of the web has started down this path. Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, HN - they're all feeds of information, some with primitive filtering methods. It's in their best interests to serve 100% personalized content as soon as that technology becomes available. It also doesn't really matter who produces the content. Content will be produced for every single niche. To begin to re-program the individual, you just slowly introduce content that takes the incremental step from their existing belief/value/behaviour toward the desired one. Out-there example: you have an individual who is a Christian. You simply tell the system that you want them to become an Atheist at X point in the future. The system then subtly, and incrementally introduces catered content designed to facilitate that transition. Don't get me wrong, this won't be easy to create such a system. I'm just saying it's within reach well before this decade is out. And the concern/fascination is that this could be run globally, and anonymously. /rant (I love thinking about this stuff) :)

ugh 15y ago
People didn't really search for content when there were a handful or just one TV station or radio station. That's exactly the time when the hypothesis of strong media effects was very popular (also because of the then current fascist or communist regimes and their propaganda) yet researchers were again and again unable to confirm it. I'm not saying that it's in principle not possible to influence people's opinions but I think it's very hard and we understand next to nothing about how one would go about influencing opinions in a systematic fashion.
paganel 15y ago
> At that point, you will very rarely search for information any more. You'll still do so from time-to-time, but ultimately I think people will sit on a platform and just have content after content delivered to them. And already, the newsfeed nature of the web has started down this path. Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, HN - they're all feeds of information, some with primitive filtering methods. Partly related, or maybe not, I just wanted to share a piece of advice my grand-father gave to me regarding "media manipulation". To add some context, he was a small-town mayor in an East-European communist country in the 1960s. He really believed in Communism. Anyway, he told me that I should always "read the newspapers endorsed by the Government/official establishment", this way "I'll always know what's about to really happen, or anyway, what the powers-that-be want to get happen". Strangely enough, it was really good advice. For example I watched this in action during the current Greece debt debacle, with The Economist (an establishment magazine) advising for a haircut on the Greek debt at least one or two months earlier than their CDS spread going through the roof, and at least one year earlier than the haircut actually happening. And other examples are also easy to find.
anamax 15y ago
> So now assume that you have algorithms that can serve you content that you absolutely love with 99% accuracy - 99 out of 100 HN stories you're like "OMFG THIS IS AMAZING". It's unclear that that is possible. (Perfect face recogniton isn't possible and it's an easier problem.) However, even if it is > The system then subtly, and incrementally introduces catered content designed to facilitate that transition. doesn't follow because that would require "perfect content" that also is changing a world view.

ugh 15y ago

People didn't really search for content when there were a handful or just one TV station or radio station. That's exactly the time when the hypothesis of strong media effects was very popular (also because of the then current fascist or communist regimes and their propaganda) yet researchers were again and again unable to confirm it. I'm not saying that it's in principle not possible to influence people's opinions but I think it's very hard and we understand next to nothing about how one would go about influencing opinions in a systematic fashion.

paganel 15y ago

> At that point, you will very rarely search for information any more. You'll still do so from time-to-time, but ultimately I think people will sit on a platform and just have content after content delivered to them. And already, the newsfeed nature of the web has started down this path. Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, HN - they're all feeds of information, some with primitive filtering methods. Partly related, or maybe not, I just wanted to share a piece of advice my grand-father gave to me regarding "media manipulation". To add some context, he was a small-town mayor in an East-European communist country in the 1960s. He really believed in Communism. Anyway, he told me that I should always "read the newspapers endorsed by the Government/official establishment", this way "I'll always know what's about to really happen, or anyway, what the powers-that-be want to get happen". Strangely enough, it was really good advice. For example I watched this in action during the current Greece debt debacle, with The Economist (an establishment magazine) advising for a haircut on the Greek debt at least one or two months earlier than their CDS spread going through the roof, and at least one year earlier than the haircut actually happening. And other examples are also easy to find.

anamax 15y ago

> So now assume that you have algorithms that can serve you content that you absolutely love with 99% accuracy - 99 out of 100 HN stories you're like "OMFG THIS IS AMAZING". It's unclear that that is possible. (Perfect face recogniton isn't possible and it's an easier problem.) However, even if it is > The system then subtly, and incrementally introduces catered content designed to facilitate that transition. doesn't follow because that would require "perfect content" that also is changing a world view.