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YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

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Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#3
post #2

Well... yeah. That's the whole point of the algorithm - figure out what you're into, and show more of it to you.

I was going to say. Recommendation algorithms across the internet work on the simple principal that "if they click these things or watch these things a lot, then they must like them, so we should recommend more of that to them because they'll like our recommendations". So if people are thinking the election was a fraud, they've probably clicked and watched those conspiracy nut videos, and the algorithm will spit more back at them.

It's... how recommendations work.

Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#5
post #4

Recommendation engines need to have "escape hatches" to make sure society doesn't unravel at the seams.

That would be self-defeating, as the moment that the word gets out that algorithms are now intentionally manipulating away from certain content, the Streisand effect will instantly kick in. Which is already is.

Plus, while I do not buy into election conspiracies, imagine if there was an actual stolen election. Getting all of the tech companies to suppress the actual evidence would be fantastic if I were a dictator in the making. For that reason, I would argue, allowing election conspiracy theories to propagate is a necessary evil of a functioning democracy.

Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#6
post #2

Well... yeah. That's the whole point of the algorithm - figure out what you're into, and show more of it to you.

That's what you're told, but you don't know that. The algorithm is opaque.

Even if the algo is fair to you, it could be devastating to the more feeble-minded.. And you would never know, until some clownish grifter caricature became leader of the free world, wink. Even then, how would you trace that critical little 2% vote shift back to a particular algorithm?

Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#8
post #2

Well... yeah. That's the whole point of the algorithm - figure out what you're into, and show more of it to you.

They are doing exactly what they were designed and should do.

That is showing the user type of content they are interested in.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#9
What happens if a user of Youtube is depressed? Is Youtube more likely to direct and promote videos making the user more depressed? Say that you write an recommendation algorithm to maximize viewing time for advertising purposes does the recommendation algorithm take ethical decisions what is suitable content?

What if the user is viewing extreme content what will the recommendation algorithm recommend?

Re: YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Already Skeptical

#10
post #2

Well... yeah. That's the whole point of the algorithm - figure out what you're into, and show more of it to you.

Yeah

YT is a drug pusher. In the worse of ways

I notice that the moment I watch a video slightly "off center" it goes full slippery slope on my recommendations. No kidding

"Ah but this is what it should do". No, it shouldn't

To not give a political example, this is like chasing and knocking on people's doors at dinner time with a full McD meal because you had a frozen yogurt in the afternoon

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