Category: Algorithm Cultures

Thanks for sharing Thomas!
Very interesting observation about the thumbnails. I’m almost certain that this is something they would have taken into consideration. Nothing seems to be accidental on Netflix.

The presentation is very effective, animated screenshots and comparison of the changing thumbnails is really good.

Amazing to see how rapidly it adapts. I have had a very different experience with Soundcloud. Which I think is a clear reason why it has remained a second fiddle to Spotify.

This is perhaps the biggest impact of algorithmic culture upon us: The expectation that algorithms respond immediately to our changing patterns and seeming “choices”.

This may also mark the impact of algorithmic cultures on education. The expectation of immediate adaptation, flexibility and personalisation.

source https://edc20.education.ed.ac.uk/treinhardt/2020/03/12/algorithm-play-mscedc-i-have-chosen-to-meddle-with-my-netflix-profile-and-become-a-romantic-well-being-movie-fan-out-of-a-sudden-find-my-day-to-day-steller-log-book-on-pinterest-http-bit-ly-2tr/#comment-24

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Great artefact, Thomas, and love the way you have presented it with a timeline of screenshots, reflections and audio commentary!

Some fascinating explorations meddling with your Netflix profile here. It’s interesting to see your reflections on how your location may have changed the results, and also that time is a factor (it took a few days, or a higher number of views of certain content, for things to come through).

It’s also interesting that you comment on how this may have influenced you – did you feel ‘in control’ or that the results were ‘controlling’ you to a degree, and shaping your habits?

Also, I wonder what assumptions Netflix may have begun to make about you. While you were deliberately ‘playing’ with the algorithm in this case, how did you feel about the data collected in the process and any assumptions made/conclusions drawn?

source https://edc20.education.ed.ac.uk/treinhardt/2020/03/12/algorithm-play-mscedc-i-have-chosen-to-meddle-with-my-netflix-profile-and-become-a-romantic-well-being-movie-fan-out-of-a-sudden-find-my-day-to-day-steller-log-book-on-pinterest-http-bit-ly-2tr/#comment-22