We often forget that machine recommendation algorithms do not operate in a vacuum. Strange and offensive suggestions in Google search results often appear because curious users notice an odd suggestion and click on it, causing it to rank higher -- not because the suggestion is inherently good or useful.
The problem is only worse on some other sites, incidentally. The prominence of suggested videos on YouTube has some really strange effects on the popularity of certain videos. Similar effects exist with some Amazon products too (as "customers also shopped for…"), as well as with many other recommendation algorithms.
I switched to duckduckgo after google started putting up political messages on their homepage in 2015. I don't need google to tell me what's fake and what isn't, and what's offensive and what isn't.
To me part of the problem is that they suggest an entire search phrase based on a few words. It's ludicrous that typing "how to" suggests "make money" and "make love". I feel like it would be better if they only provided suggestions when there was a smaller spectrum of possibilities available. Sometimes it feels like someone is trying to put ideas into your head. At best, the line between helpful and harmful is very blurred.
I don't get the problem. Google suggests what people are looking for. If people wonders whether the holocaust happened, maybe the question should be answered?
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[ 136 ms ] story [ 615 ms ] threadI mean how are you going to find "offensive" stuff in the first place unless you were looking for it and want to read about it?
This reminds me of the time Google manipulated their SERP to hide holocaust revisionist information.
Exactly. And, then, publicize it for karma points somewhere, when the outrage kicks in and it gets lots of eyeballs.
It reminds you of .. the article you are commenting on, today?
https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2065217/google-in-con...
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/05/google-al...
When Google Autocomplete suggests that users search for offensive queries based on (relatively) inoffensive stems, as explained in the article.
We often forget that machine recommendation algorithms do not operate in a vacuum. Strange and offensive suggestions in Google search results often appear because curious users notice an odd suggestion and click on it, causing it to rank higher -- not because the suggestion is inherently good or useful.
The problem is only worse on some other sites, incidentally. The prominence of suggested videos on YouTube has some really strange effects on the popularity of certain videos. Similar effects exist with some Amazon products too (as "customers also shopped for…"), as well as with many other recommendation algorithms.
Only works in chrome, was trying to get around to finishing it for showHN, but now I might never get a chance it seems.
Google, your main priority seems to be censorship and spying for NSA. You advertised "don't be evil" but you are more than evil today.
Google, no thanks!