I do! When it seems readable and useful, and I know that it exists. And when I have something riding on the outcome. - J
On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 10:50 AM, Deborah Tankersley < [email protected]> wrote: > Detailed, readable documentation (which is accessible directly from the >> search interface) > > > Yup, totally agree. But, in real life, who reads the documentation > anyway? ;) > > > -- > deb tankersley > irc: debt > Product Manager, Discovery > Wikimedia Foundation > > On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 11:21 AM, Jonathan Morgan <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> When I read this article, I wasn't struck that the author was saying she >> thought that technology "owed" her particular results. >> >> I think the point she's making is that so much of our life now is >> mediated by algorithms that make choices we may not understand, and that >> impacts how we see the world in ways we can't easily anticipate or account >> for (supporting quotes below). And the problem is subtler and more >> pervasive than simply issues of "filter bubbles" and "fake news" that are >> currently garnering the biggest headlines. >> >> This is part of a broader conversation that happening right now around >> algorithmic transparency and "ethical AI". Lots and lots of big names are >> weighing in on the topic[1][2][3][4][5][6]. >> >> I haven't see a whole lot of specific design guidance around how to >> support transparency in the context of search yet, but I'd be interested in >> hearing from others who have. Detailed, readable documentation (which is >> accessible directly from the search interface) sounds like a pretty good >> start :) >> >> - Jonathan >> >> >> >> >> >> *"I am still not accustomed to the drastic ways search algorithms can >> direct people’s lives. We’re so used to Google’s suggested spellings and >> the autocorrect of texting apps that we’ve stopped thinking too hard about >> how we search or how we spell. If I tap out Chrissy but should have typed >> Krissy, I implicitly believe that of course the opaque algorithms of >> Facebook will intuit my intent. But we have no way of probing the limits of >> the algorithms that govern our lives.""When we talk about the algorithms >> that drive sites like Google and Facebook, we marvel at their cleverness in >> serving us information, or we worry about the ways in which they exacerbate >> bias—profiling people based on gross data trends, for example, to decide >> who gets a loan and who doesn’t. But there is a complex web of algorithmic >> life-shaping at work that we barely register. It’s not that I wish Facebook >> treated its Cs and Ks alike. It’s that by not knowing the rules, we give up >> some agency to mathematical calculations."* >> >> 1. https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/public- >> policy/2017_usacm_statement_algorithms.pdf >> 2. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2908372/the-ftc-is-worried >> -about-algorithmic-transparency-and-you-should-be-too.html >> 3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/02/08/theme-7-the-need-gr >> ows-for-algorithmic-literacy-transparency-and-oversight/ >> 4. https://epic.org/algorithmic-transparency/ >> 5. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603915/tech-giants- >> grapple-with-the-ethical-concerns-raised-by-the-ai-boom/ >> 6. https://cyber.harvard.edu/research/ai >> >> >> >> On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 9:04 AM, Trey Jones <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Thanks for sharing, Chris! >>> >>> I found the article a bit frustrating. As a human interest story, it's >>> very touching that the sisters were able to reconnect despite family >>> problems that worked to keep them apart. >>> >>> But from the technology side of things, blaming search algorithms seems >>> odd to me. I'm surprised that anyone would feel that technology owed them >>> particular results or specific capabilities—especially capabilities they >>> didn't even know they needed. That might actually be a useful insight into >>> our own users, though. >>> >>> I'm also surprised the author didn't use anything other than search >>> engines and social media. I've had to track down a dozen or so people who >>> were out of touch for up to 20+ years, for a book project, and there are so >>> many resources out there! Even more if you are able to spend a few dollars >>> per person—which "book project people" did not warrant, but siblings would. >>> >>> So, getting a bit more on-topic, how do we help people by not only >>> providing them with useful information, but also the tools and processes >>> that allow them to get the most from that information? It seems like >>> documentation works for very sophisticated users, but the rest have to >>> collectively and very unevenly accrete familiarity with tools over time; >>> learning/teaching processes seems even more daunting. I can't see a way to >>> accelerate that process, which is disheartening. >>> >>> —Trey >>> >>> Trey Jones >>> Software Engineer, Discovery >>> Wikimedia Foundation >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 10:33 AM, Chris Koerner <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Thanks to Erica Litrenta for sharing this with me. I thought I'd share >>>> if forward. >>>> >>>> "It was because of the letter K that I found my younger sister, but >>>> for 14 years, it was also the letter K that kept us apart." >>>> >>>> https://www.wired.com/story/search-algorithms-kept-me-from-m >>>> y-sister-for-14-years >>>> >>>> Yours, >>>> Chris Koerner >>>> Community Liaison >>>> Wikimedia Foundation >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> discovery mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/discovery >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> discovery mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/discovery >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Jonathan T. Morgan >> Senior Design Researcher >> Wikimedia Foundation >> User:Jmorgan (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jmorgan_(WMF)> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> discovery mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/discovery >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > discovery mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/discovery > > -- Jonathan T. Morgan Senior Design Researcher Wikimedia Foundation User:Jmorgan (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jmorgan_(WMF)>
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