Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
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Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#2Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#3Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
intelligent people like things targeted for idiots, because they don’t like using their brain unnecessarily either.
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#4Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
Someone on one of the youtube channels pulled up a web page and all the ads around the edges were handguns, handguns, handguns. It was kind of funny. heh.
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#5Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
Obviously the search term you type is what you want to see, so in a sense you're right. But that wasn't what you meant, right?
Google selects a large set of search results based on what it thinks your query means, then weighs each result according to many, many criteria, I've heard there are about 140 but that's a long time ago, and finally orders them by aggregate weight.
You may assume that all of those criteria are "boost pages that seem to be written by idiots", but do you really think so?
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#6said the pot to the kettle?
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#7I disagree with Schmidt. Misinformation is spreading because trust in institutions is eroding. This eroding trust is because of transparency and improved information dissemination. Most people don't trust the news anymore because it can easily be seen how biased they are. They don't trust institutions because they see how partisan most are.
You can't just ban or regulate social media and expect the toothpaste to just magically go back into the tube. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are doing their best to suppress information that goes against the popular narrative, but that's not helping me trust those narratives more, but instead making me trust those internet companies less.
Address the issue of trust, and you can fix the real issues here. Not "idiot" amplification.
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#8Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
intelligent people like things targeted for idiots, because they don’t like using their brain unnecessarily either.
I think this is a good point that needs remembering. All it takes is to read a "political" thread on HN and the comments from people on both sides to know its true.
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#9Doesn't google filter search results for you based on your what it thinks you want to see? That should also be included in the list of "amplifier for idiots"
Obviously the search term you type is what you want to see, so in a sense you're right. But that wasn't what you meant, right? Google selects a large set of search results based on what it thinks your query means, then weighs each result according to many, many criteria, I've heard there are about 140 but that's a long time ago, and finally orders them by aggregate weight. You may assume that all of those criteria ar…
Google doesn't just use the search term. It also uses your search and browsing history. This is why if you're a programmer, you're more likely to get results from StackOverflow because your search is more likely to be about programming. It's one reason why people can get better search results from Google than, say, DuckDuckGo.
If you've been watching lots of conspiracy YouTube videos and reading lots of conspiracy blogs, Google is more likely to give you conspiracy search results because it thinks that's what you want to see. This is called a filter bubble [1], and it's how social media as well as search amplify questionable content.
Re: Former Google CEO Calls Social Networks ‘Amplifiers for Idiots’
#10Hypocrisy and PR spin aside, he’s not wrong. I think, on the balance, that social networks are a net negative development for humanity and should be destroyed.