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For ad targeting and recommendation algorithms, sure. "Privacy," though isn't about Google shovelling reaction videos into my feed in order to keep me on the s

For ad targeting and recommendation algorithms, sure. "Privacy," though isn't about Google shovelling reaction videos into my feed in order to keep me on the site. It's more about every site requiring authentication and more information than they need about my identity, which in turn, gets sold to third-parties or gets stolen in a breach. And then can be used to impersonate me, craft scams targeting me, etc. Agree though that recommendation algos are bad and over-used. They're designed to give the illusion that the system is curating content that you would like. An algorithm can't recommend something you would like. It hasn't sat down with you over countless dinners and nights out and got to know you; nor has it been off and read it's own books and seen movies on its own time. It's not going to drop off a worn copy of Wide Sargasso Sea because that's what you need to read right now. Recommendation algorithms are designed for retention and retention-only. They throw away almost all data about you except what you've clicked on recently.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Funny that you compare recommendation algorithms to a human being who knows you well. My purely anecdotal feeling is that today, recommending media (let alone a book, as fewer people today read) to a friend or relative is viewed as less appropriate than in the past. When people are facing a glut of content, and are well empowered to find on their own content that would appeal to them, someone saying “You really ought to check this out, I think you’d like it!” might be just as bothersome as friends or relatives trying to evangelize their religion or draft you into their MLM scheme.
- alwaysbeconsing 3y ago
  To counterbalance your anecdote this is not among my friends and family. We swap books regularly and enjoy the recommendations. Of the prior 10 books I read all came from friend recommendation, and I enjoyed each one.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  What my friends think I may or may not enjoy is the only halfway reliable signal I have when it comes to identifying things new to me that I may or may not enjoy. I hope they never stop telling me about them.
  - notjoemama 3y ago
    Same. Had a friend recommend a show to me and I binged the 3 seasons. I don’t binge watch anything. Ever. I’ve tried several other shows because Netflix and Amazon suggested them based on my previous viewing. They all mostly sucked. I don’t think algorithms can detect good acting yet…
- gunapologist99 3y ago
  It probably depends on how the recommendation is offered, rather than if the recommendation exists at all.
mike_hock 3y ago
> It hasn't sat down with you over countless dinners and nights out and got to know you That's how humans convince themselves that they know somebody to satisfy their own need to be able to trust somebody and to be trusted. Statistical analysis is how you gain actual information. Information that's relevant to understand - so as to be able to manipulate - fears, desires, and opinions on the population level. And yeah, you're gonna serve some ads to people in the process. Gotta make it look legit somehow.
- myaccountonhn 3y ago
  Is it really? Given the recommendations I get, somehow I doubt it.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago

Funny that you compare recommendation algorithms to a human being who knows you well. My purely anecdotal feeling is that today, recommending media (let alone a book, as fewer people today read) to a friend or relative is viewed as less appropriate than in the past. When people are facing a glut of content, and are well empowered to find on their own content that would appeal to them, someone saying “You really ought to check this out, I think you’d like it!” might be just as bothersome as friends or relatives trying to evangelize their religion or draft you into their MLM scheme.

alwaysbeconsing 3y ago
To counterbalance your anecdote this is not among my friends and family. We swap books regularly and enjoy the recommendations. Of the prior 10 books I read all came from friend recommendation, and I enjoyed each one.
JohnFen 3y ago
What my friends think I may or may not enjoy is the only halfway reliable signal I have when it comes to identifying things new to me that I may or may not enjoy. I hope they never stop telling me about them.
- notjoemama 3y ago
  Same. Had a friend recommend a show to me and I binged the 3 seasons. I don’t binge watch anything. Ever. I’ve tried several other shows because Netflix and Amazon suggested them based on my previous viewing. They all mostly sucked. I don’t think algorithms can detect good acting yet…
gunapologist99 3y ago
It probably depends on how the recommendation is offered, rather than if the recommendation exists at all.

mike_hock 3y ago

> It hasn't sat down with you over countless dinners and nights out and got to know you That's how humans convince themselves that they know somebody to satisfy their own need to be able to trust somebody and to be trusted. Statistical analysis is how you gain actual information. Information that's relevant to understand - so as to be able to manipulate - fears, desires, and opinions on the population level. And yeah, you're gonna serve some ads to people in the process. Gotta make it look legit somehow.

myaccountonhn 3y ago
Is it really? Given the recommendations I get, somehow I doubt it.