The reading, The Relevance of Algorithms is a chapter from an anthology that
Gillespie co-edited called Media Technologies: Essays on Communication,
Materiality, and Society. It was published in 2014 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
and directed towards a general audience.
The
Relevance of Algorithms describes what an algorithm is and explains it’s
relevance to the public through six specific examples. He defines an algorithm
as “encoded procedures for transforming input data into a desired output, based
on specific calculations.” The six dimensions of public relevance algorithms is
the main theme of this chapter because it describes the roles that algorithms
play in society. Algorithms assess information and then represent it in a
particular “knowledge logic. ”
The
six dimensions are laid out in as a “conceptual map.” The first dimension is
the patterns of inclusion, which involves the choices behind what is included
and excluded to make the data algorithm ready. He states that they are
“meaningless machines until paired with databases on which to function.”
Because algorithms are designed to be automatic, the information that is
provided must be organized in a specific way. This is done through
categorization, exclusion, and demotion. For example, when searching for
something on Google, certain offending content must be removed from the index.
The next dimension, cycles of anticipation, allows algorithm providers to
thoroughly “know and predict their users” and draw conclusions based off of their
users. Other dimensions include the promise of algorithmic objectivity,
entanglement with practice, and the production of calculated publics. Over all,
it was a very informative chapter that explores many different topics involving
sociological inquiries regarding whether or not algorithms are being looked to
as credible knowledge logic.
A
few people reviewed this chapter. One person who was studying abroad in Paris
was required to make a commentary on this chapter. She summarized her
interpretation of the chapter, but was not entirely convinced by the
“conceptual map.” Another person, Caroline O’Donovan, did a Q&A with Gillespie,
which was quite interesting to read because you are really able to understand
Gillespie’s views of algorithms. I would actually suggest my classmates to read
the Q&A because it provides great clarification. Some topics that
O’Donovan’s brings up involves the future of personalized news content,
satisfaction when algorithms perform the way you want it to, and the fact that
algorithms are constantly changing and never the same for each person. A few
sources are listed below of other articles that discuss the same topic of
algorithms.
Tarleton Gillespie is an assistant
professor in the Departments of Communication and Information Science and also
teaches in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell
University. He was born in Ithaca, New York, and is 41 years old. He received his B.A. at Amherst College
and then received his Ph.D at UCSB. Professor Downey mentioned in lecture that
he is an acquaintance of Gillespie, and that his work is very credible. His
areas of interest include social contexts and implications of information
technologies, in addition to public discourse in a digital environment.
Here is a video of Gillespie that Kyle Nemeroff watched and found interesting! http://vimeo.com/69641358
Here is a video of Gillespie that Kyle Nemeroff watched and found interesting! http://vimeo.com/69641358
Sources:
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