Difference between revisions of "Political Ramifications of Search"

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Note: the readings and content are going to be changed for tuesday's class...more to follow later.
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Thinking about the broad implications of search, we've asked: How do search algorithms work for or against social stratification? How does it affect our approach to cultural content? What are the implications of mechanical evaluations of quality? What are some possible results of customization enabled by detailed, personal information about individual behavior? How far can it go? Will it help create cross-cutting communities as people find each other with similar interests, or will it serve to isolate people as they are served information that continually reinforces social boundaries that have already been constructed? Is the use of link structure to evaluate quality a democratizing force? Or does it reinforce the status quo? Are phenomena like Google Bombing quirks or do they open up new avenues of serious political commentary?
  
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In this class period, we will try to summarize where we've been so far in the seminar and overview the political implications of search and the policy questions it has generated. We will then highlight a few policy debates that nestle within these political concerns, framing it in social science terms. The class will mostly be a discussion about policy implications.
  
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Before class, please read these articles (very short). Come up with a list of questions to go along with the policy implications raised:
  
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How do search algorithms work for or against social stratification? How does it affect our approach to cultural content? What are the implications of mechanical evaluations of quality?
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:* Eric Goldman's "Search Engine Bias and the Demise of Search Engine Utopianism" http://islandia.law.yale.edu/isp/search_papers/goldman.pdf
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:* Stephan Bechtold's "In search of a search law" http://islandia.law.yale.edu/isp/search_papers/bechtold.doc
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Search engines enable users to parse the overload of information available online. But there is a trend for search companies to track personal search histories as well in order to provide customized content. Private companies now hold vast databases of information about the behavior of large portions of populations. What are some possible results of customization enabled by detailed, personal information about individual behavior? How far can it go? Will it help create cross-cutting communities as people find each other with similar interests, or will it serve to isolate people as they are served information that continually reinforces social boundaries that have already been constructed? Is the use of link structure to evaluate quality a democratizing force? Or does it reinforce the status quo? Are phenomena like Google Bombing quirks or do they open up new avenues of serious political commentary?
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:* Chris Hoofnagle http://islandia.law.yale.edu/isp/search_papers/hoofnagle.pdf
  
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Optional Material:
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:* [http://epic.makingithappen.co.uk/ GoogleZon]: A dystopic story of the future of media content. Far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not! Regardless, it raises interesting questions. (8 minutes).
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:* This Boring Headline Written for Google: NYT article written about the effects search technology is having on writing http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/weekinreview/09lohr.html?ex=1302235200&en=fd2082be97aa034d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
 
:* Google Bombing article at wikipedia. Especially check out the scientology struggle.
 
:* Google Bombing article at wikipedia. Especially check out the scientology struggle.
 
:* Philip Howard. 2003. Digitizing the Social Contract: Producing American Political Culture in the Age of New Media. The Communications Review v. 6. http://faculty.washington.edu/pnhoward/publishing/articles/socialcontract.pdf.
 
:* Philip Howard. 2003. Digitizing the Social Contract: Producing American Political Culture in the Age of New Media. The Communications Review v. 6. http://faculty.washington.edu/pnhoward/publishing/articles/socialcontract.pdf.
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:* GoogleZon: A dystopic story of the future of media content. Far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not! Regardless, it raises interesting questions. (8 minutes).
 
 
:*Lucas Introna and Helen Nissenbaum. 2000. <i>Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters</i>. The Information Society v. 16(3). http://www.indiana.edu/~tisj/readers/abstracts/16/16-3%20Introna.html
 
:*Lucas Introna and Helen Nissenbaum. 2000. <i>Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters</i>. The Information Society v. 16(3). http://www.indiana.edu/~tisj/readers/abstracts/16/16-3%20Introna.html
 
:*Kieran Healy. 2002. <i>Digital Technology and Cultural Goods</i>. The Journal of Political Philosophy v. 10(4). http://www.kieranhealy.org/files/papers/jpp.pdf
 
:*Kieran Healy. 2002. <i>Digital Technology and Cultural Goods</i>. The Journal of Political Philosophy v. 10(4). http://www.kieranhealy.org/files/papers/jpp.pdf
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[policy questions]
 

Latest revision as of 08:01, 30 May 2006

Thinking about the broad implications of search, we've asked: How do search algorithms work for or against social stratification? How does it affect our approach to cultural content? What are the implications of mechanical evaluations of quality? What are some possible results of customization enabled by detailed, personal information about individual behavior? How far can it go? Will it help create cross-cutting communities as people find each other with similar interests, or will it serve to isolate people as they are served information that continually reinforces social boundaries that have already been constructed? Is the use of link structure to evaluate quality a democratizing force? Or does it reinforce the status quo? Are phenomena like Google Bombing quirks or do they open up new avenues of serious political commentary?

In this class period, we will try to summarize where we've been so far in the seminar and overview the political implications of search and the policy questions it has generated. We will then highlight a few policy debates that nestle within these political concerns, framing it in social science terms. The class will mostly be a discussion about policy implications.

Before class, please read these articles (very short). Come up with a list of questions to go along with the policy implications raised:

Optional Material:

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