Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
So, What’s the Headline News Today?
As you probably know, Google, Facebook, and other news aggregators work very hard to please you. In fact, they’re sort of like the creepiest guy you could imagine dating. (Adapt the simile as appropriate, if you date ladies.)
They study every term you search and think deeply about what it says about you. They remember every link you’ve ever clicked, and they ask themselves, thoughtfully, “What does it mean that she was interested in that?” They keep a list of all your friends. They study what your friends search for and what they click. They know where you live. They know what you buy. They know when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake, they know when you’ve been good or bad, and they know when you’ve got a touch of the flu.
They’re fascinated to discover that you like certain sports teams — wow, she likes Ronda Rousey too, we’re perfect for each other. They know who your favorite celebrities are, and they can even tell if you’re pregnant before you can. (They don’t even mind if it’s not their child — that’s how much they love you.)
And because they just want to make you happy, they spend their every nanosecond trying to figure out what you might like to see next on the Internet. They hope that if they prove they know you even better than you know yourself, and can anticipate your every wish, then maybe, just maybe, you’ll fall in love with them and never leave them — or at least, that you’ll buy something from one of their advertisers.
Sadly, as with all such ardent suitors, the worrying part is that the courtship phase probably won’t last forever. After they’re done watching every every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, and every step you take, their love could easily become a bit controlling. Abusive, even. For example, Google might start telling you for whom you should vote:
Google’s ranking algorithm for search results could accidentally steal the presidency. “We estimate, based on win margins in national elections around the world,” says Robert Epstein, a psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology and one of the study’s authors, “that Google could determine the outcome of upwards of 25 percent of all national elections.”
“Accidentally” is not necessarily how that would happen, by the way, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt; after all, even though Google is racing to be the the first company on a US-listed stock exchange with more than $1 trillion in market cap, their motto is “Don’t be evil.” This sophisticated theology probably militates against any possibility that they would try to use their power in a self-interested way. Right? Right.
Anyway, to my question. When you look at the news today — doesn’t matter which news source you use, unless it’s television or print, which no one uses anymore — what are the top ten headlines you see? Because I suspect you and I may be looking at the news in a very different way. In fact, I suspect I may see very different stories. Here are my top ten on Google News:
- At least 12 arrests reported on fourth night of demonstrations in Ferguson
- Rick Perry stops paying all of his staff as fundraising dries up
- EPA spill: ‘We looked at the river and we cried’
- A French couple’s love for the American West ends in tragedy
- Who Is Sundar Pichai, Google’s New CEO? (Odd that they think I’d be so interested in this, isn’t it?)
- Another huge crowd for Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders
- Political Violence Rages as Turkish Snap Poll Looks Likely
- Republican Debate: Marco Rubio Wins With 7 For 7
- US calls for peace between Afghanistan, Pakistan to defeat violent extremists
- Ukraine Suffers ‘Worst Shelling in Six Months’ as Violence Escalates
Alas, Google still doesn’t know me well enough to make me completely happy. I reckon I know why they think I’d be interested in the story of a French couple whose love for the American West ends in tragedy, but they’re quite wrong. I may be from the American West, and I may be interested in news about France, but it sure doesn’t add up to “interested in that story.” But apart from that — not bad, Google, not bad. I’d click on the other ones.
In fact, I did.
Now, interestingly, below are the top ten stories you’d get if Google knew nothing at all about you. This is based, I assume, on the rest of the world’s Google searches, although … look, I’m not a conspiracy theorist, you know that, but I have to wonder if the rest of the world is really more interested in first item than in any other topic, don’t you? If so, why?
- Kylie Jenner
- Taliban
- Warren Buffett
- Ferguson unrest
- Colorado
- Jennifer Aniston
- Istanbul
- Xiaomi
- Iran
So what do you see when you check the news on the Internet? Doesn’t matter if you’re looking at Google, Facebook, or any other Internet news source. I’m just curious to know what you see when it occurs to you to ask, “So, what’s the headline news today?”
Published in Culture, Elections, General, Journalism, Science & Technology, Technology
I’d rather they be upfront in their self interest. Nothing is as dangerous as someone convinced they are acting out of pure altruism.
Well, they don’t make a huge secret of their enthusiasm for money, power, and hot tubs on their private jets. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But I fear many people don’t quite grasp that a) there’s nothing wrong with that; but b) the desire for these things often makes people confused about the difference between “their own interests” and “everyone else’s,” hence — caveat emptor, caveat lector.
Interesting, quite similar to mine. So my theory about why they thought I’d be interested in the French couple is wrong.
Mine is very American Football centric. I’m a little surprised….
Hall of Fame: Brett Favre, Terrell Owens will head Class of 2016
Watch Marshawn Lynch Mock Seahawks’ Super Bowl Blunder on ‘The League’
Bill Clinton Reportedly Told Jeb Bush That His Donald Trump Problem Would Be …
Carmike Cinemas Inc (CKEC) Discloses Form 4 Insider Selling : Exec. A Dale …
Eagles CB JaCorey Shepherd tears ACL after Brandon Boykin traded
WundaBar Pilates has unique take on traditional reformer classes
Wilson Staff Celebrating 100 Years
Yuan Devaluation Jolts Global Markets as Stocks, Metals Retreat
‘West’s aggressive stance pushes Russia to China, threatens Western dominance’
Invest Like Henry Kissinger
I just installed Google news last week and spent a little time customizing it. It asked my preferences and I replied “see Claires”.
Okay, I got that one yesterday, which really puzzled me, because I’m pretty sure I’ve never searched for “Pilates” even once in my life. Yoga, yes — I was thinking perhaps that was the connection — but Pilates, no.
Have you ever searched for anything that would make Google think you’re interested in Pilates? Why would this be a trending story?
And based on what they should know full well interests me, I should have seen that one. I spent hours looking for more information about this yesterday.
Edited, see next comment.
From the left sidebar:
Which is not at all what the center column shows:
YouTubes on stretching. I need to get more flexible in my dotage….
Big story on Zero Hedge today.
China Enters Currency War – Devalues Yuan By Most On Record
Okay, so what’s up with this. Is it possible that this has for hours been the most interesting news story to the whole world? It doesn’t seem plausible to me, especially since if you click on it, it leads you to many different stories about Google — all very positive — and none of which, inherently, the kind of thing that would generate front-page interest on any other site. Unless I’m missing something, Google is — understandably — advertising itself. But it’s not doing so in a particularly transparent way.
Am I missing something?
Just checked out Google news. My headline articles are almost the same as everyone else’s:
Protests return to Ferguson streets, state of emergency declared
Rick Perry campaign stops paying staffers in South Carolina
French couple who died in desert gave son extra water, sheriff said
EPA spill: ‘We looked at the river and we cried’
China devaluation heralds currency war; Greece gets deal
So I don’t think it’s a wide-ranging conspiracy. I think their news aggregators are aggregating the news and disseminating it en masse, and individual clicks, etc, don’t seem to have that much effect. Of course, if I sign in to Google or Gmail that might make it different.
The sidebar articles are exactly the same as shown above in #10.
So, What’s the Headline News Today?
Look, Up In The Sky, Perseid Meteors
Bad News For Team Perry
I definitely don’t think it’s a wide-ranging conspiracy. But I do think we see different things — although we’re all checking it at different times, now, so there’s no way to compare. But I’m guessing I’m the only one who gets headlines from Turkey as “Top News,” and I notice I never get a story about football — ever.
I was actually curious about what people saw using sites other than Google News, too. Is that what everyone checks first when they ask themselves, “What’s in the news?” I tend to check it first but quickly move on to other sites.
I wonder why “Istanbul” is trending on the left — is it because of the attack on the US consulate? It seems to me more logical for “Turkey” to trend, because that’s just one small piece of the terrible, violent events of the past few days and … oh, ask and you shall receive. Now it’s “Turkey” on the left.
Every morning, Yahoo News provides me with local crime and weather stories from Philadelphia. I haven’t lived in Philadelphia since I went to school there 50 years ago. Once it knows something, the Internet never forgets.
“Don’t be evil”. Wonderful. What’s their definition of evil? For that matter,what’s their definition of “good”?
Just checked Google News, which I almost never check
Here were my “Top stories”:
I say that was a reasonable roundup of stories. Political stories attract my attention the most. The headlines quoting Rick Perry and Jeb confirmed my biases very nicely. Good job, Google!
Then Google had some stories that were “Suggested for you” :
Note: A Raspberry Pi is tiny computer. How tiny? This tiny:
Coincidentally, my business partner and I are developing a product that involves a Raspberry Pi (and much else.)
Interesting that Google thought to suggest this story to me.
The article quoting Gov Walker didn’t confirm any of my biases regarding Hillary because:
The item regarding Shake Shack it likely triggered by my interest in food.
I think Google did a pretty good job stroking my biases and preexisting interests
Claire,
Google’s search algorithm is essentially neutral. However, sophisticated web advertising minds can plant proper key words in the proper places to lift a story to the top of a google search. Also, by taking out paid ads that appear to the right of the search column dependent on particular searches a crafty campaign consultant could work the web pretty good.
This is at the moment a matter of force and counter force. You hire your consultant to push your stories to the top etc. v their consultants. This is a problem for all advertisers on the web. Your best customer does a search and two pages of other companies come up before your beautiful web site. Time to call in a sharp shooter and get your name back up in the pack.
The other problem of the ardent suitor who seems to know all is a different one. Sometimes the suitor is just a bit too sincere and is just a very good guesser. He really doesn’t know a thing. I have been annoyed by someone who’s entire approach was not only devious but employed a variety of stooges to follow me around. As my life is neither that exciting nor unpredictable these sleuths accomplished their goal quite easily except for the times I literally tripped over them.
Live and learn.
Regards,
Jim
In the World section, there’s news on Japan’s nuclear reactor, Turkey targeting the PKK, Russia and the Saudis on Assad, and the Greek bailout. The US section has something about Bernie Sanders and a few random local stories.
I’ve literally never checked Google news before. I usually start with RealClearPolitics.
The only thing that seems targeted is that Google knows where I am and has local weather and headlines on the right. I could do without that. I notice that if I choose the “UK” tab from the drop-down box not only are the top stories different, I get a different selection of world news.
I also notice that Google has no uniform headline capitalization style.
” Don’t stand in the way of the Progressive project.”
I only got 6 top stories. Google must know I have a short attention span
Top Stories
Another tense night in Ferguson
Rick Perry campaign stops paying staffers in South Carolina
Donald Trump: Door still open on third-party run, despite report saying otherwise
Rivers hardest hit by Colorado mine waste spill to stay closed until Aug. 17
Futures lower after China devalues yuan
Brother of Athlete Questions Why He Was Killed by Police
Top Stories Sidebar had the following
Donald Trump
Google
Ferguson unrest
Colorado
Jennifer Aniston
Istanbul
Bernie Sanders
Hillary Rodham Clinton
IKEA
Verizon Communications
The Kindle Fire I got for Fathers day has gotten a whole lot interesting since the generic advertisements it came with have been tuned to my interests (vs being pitched to a 19 year old gamer).
Being online is like going native on a nude beach. If you don’t want anyone looking, don’t go.
The statistician in me got a chuckle out of this. So if a coin flip can “determine” ~50% of national elections, well…
News seems to be skewed by Australian IP, but the ads keep urging me towards shaadi.com and muslim matrimony.
Rest easy – “they” ain’t that insightful.
A world where everyone is seeing different sets of “tuned” news stories is rather like the world before printing was invented and gave everyone a common reference point.
Interesting thought. I wonder.
I would say that is true. When you aren’t signed in you are generic. When you are signed in, you and google both access your history.
I’d be curious to compare the two.
I’m always in the dark, about very much because I don’t use a news aggregator, other than Ricochet. I expand my quest from there.
Google News has a handy feature that lets you personally customize your feed instead of just going with the default based on your location and search history. For example, you can add sections from other countries or in other languages. One of my custom sections is international news from France, which has a headline on the migrant crisis that doesn’t show up in my other results (“Migrants: Nearly 900 alleged traffikers arrested in Italy since Jan. 2014”). I’ve also got an Arabic news section (sometimes I try to sound out the headlines for practice–I’m far from fluent) that mentions a bombing that killed 50 people in Nigeria today.
I also “Like” newspapers from different places on Facebook to try to expand my perspective. Apparently in Beirut right now, there is a crisis around garbage collection. And the Lebanese presidency is vacant. If I didn’t “Like” The Daily Star, these items never would have come to my attention.