I'll just come out and say it. I am a fucking dumbass!! When it comes to basic math like algebra and some forms of geometry, I have fairly decent grasp on its concepts (any moron can figure out how to figure out the area of a triangle). But I suppose I don't remember algorithms (or at least don't remember them very well). Can someone at least try to give me a general sense as to what algorithms are and how they work?
In any case I guess I can safely say make lack of knowledge and understanding of algorithms defined my attitudes and feelings towards the two videos we watched. Therefore, I do have some problems with the Slavin video, as he felt (my opinion) that algorithms seemed to control and shape our lives and there is just nothing we can do about it. Whether we see and understand them or not, algorithms shape human action towards each other, both online and in general society. He seemed to reduce human interaction towards mathematics, and that appeared to be the only way to understand how we have come to understand each other and we are to act towards each other. (I could be wrong of course. Someone please enligthen me).
As for the Pariser video, I not only found that video more comprehensible, but also more realistic. He identified how algorithms and how they shape our identities online, but also found several problems with that. He understood that the online world has now reduced every action a person takes online to possible mathematical outcomes. He wants to fight that preconception that the online world has taken among its visitors and I wouldn't mind joining him in that fight. (Of course, I could be wrong. Someone please enligthen me).
I think an algorithm is a well-defined set of rules for determining a function. Some sort of calculation and data processing that human's lack the capacity for. So i guess they are quite useful especially with the computers we have today. I saw recently that facebook was just spammed HARD! like porn and gore and other unsightly images were hacked into the site. I am fairly sure facebook has an algorithm to stop that type of abuse and people found ways to work around it.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty crazy the world we inhabit. I wonder if they can code an algorithm that makes better algorithms...?