Google and Facebook Are Secretly Feeding You Information Junk Food

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/google_and_facebook_are_secretly_feeding_you_information_junk_food_20110621/?ln

Former MoveOn.org Executive Director Eli Pariser (a name you may recognize from your inbox) explains how sites such as Facebook and Google are quietly creating a personalized Internet that removes content that may be challenging, uncomfortable or important.

Pariser has written a book on the subject called “The Filter Bubble,” and breaks down the idea in the TED talk below. In one troubling example, he has two demographically similar friends Google the word Egypt. One gets news about the revolution while the other gets travel-themed results and nothing about political upheaval.

TED via Lifehacker:

Watch video at link --

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. Ummmm......

Facebook is largely a waste of time.

As for Google? I recommend an annonymous search enginge that doesn't track your searches
I use ixquick.com

[sudopod]

2. Ok, I guess? nt

[cbdo2007]

3. Not everyone is interested in the same things.

Why would you give someone search results about political upheaval when they are just looking for travel information?

Alternately, why would you give someone search results about travel information when they are interested in political upheaval?

Doesn't make sense. They are trying to cater to everyone's individual interests which is why it works fairly well, by showing us the results near the top that they think will interest us the most.

When I search for "Egypt" it pulls up stuff about ancient Egypt and King Tut because I was researching that a lot recently. No big deal. They aren't mind readers.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Facebook is a Tool. We Can Use It Too

[Goblinmonger]

5. When I just Googled Egypt

in the top six results I got both tourism and upheaval links. Guess Google thinks I can multi-task.