Filter bubble response

Eli Pariser’s idea, that we are being isolated by our computer search filters is designed for maximum impact.  Since he is addressing a newly risen resurgence of a societal issue, it relates to the audience; everyone he is addressing is experiencing their own filter bubble, whether or not they know about it.  Pariser’s choice to present his ideas in a TED talk is important in that the TED series is focused on contemporary issues and looking at all sides of any issue.  In presenting the idea of informational isolation to a group like TED viewers, Pariser creates a stronger emotional reaction, one that is more likely to become a call to action.

Pariser wants human input in the filtering system.  His talk had the objective of shedding light onto the issue and calling for a more diverse set of information displayed to the user.  By showing both information we want right now and information we actually need, the system satisfies our curiosity and entertainment as well as providing us with information that we need as human beings and citizens of a democracy.

Pariser’s idea is not a new one, though he does do a very good job of simply stating the problem. The debate on how to prioritize massive amounts of information has been going back a log time.  His assessment that editors used to serve as gatekeepers and as a quality control system have general support by those in the industry.  He does fail to address how we should create filters that do as he suggests.  Current filters are designed to prioritize using previous data on what the user actually cares about, so how do we change that without simply diluting relevant information with useless data?