Huh? A machine-learning system that could make automated recommendations

Part of the whole promise of the internet is that platforms and services would take the web’s infinite supply of everything — the stuff to watch, read, look at, play with, buy, eat, invest in, comment on, listen to, or have feelings about — combine it with a deep understanding of who you are and what you like, and feed back to you an endless supply of all your favorite stuff.

The internet is a constant recommendations machine — but it needs you to make it work

Why can’t the internet tell you what to read, watch, and eat? Because you’re complicated

By David Pierce Jun 29, 2022, 10:29am EDT

The Verge

 

". . . It’s based on a desire for a totally frictionless user experience, but from Facebook to YouTube to TikTok, we’ve seen what that can lead to: misinformation, rabbit holes, echo chambers, problems of all kinds. It also requires collecting astonishing amounts of data, grabbing every possible bit of information about you and your habits in case some of it is useful.

 

[. ] The One True Recommendation isn’t just impossible — it’s not even really worth pursuing. But that doesn’t mean things can’t get better. As the services we use get better at knowing us — and, just as important, get better at asking us about ourselves — they might be able to narrow the world down to a handful of options instead of an endlessly scrolling list. All you’ll have to do is pick your favorite and go. Because, really, there is no right answer. There’s just the one you picked."