Shaun Inman just posted a link to a TED Talk by Eli Pariser on the “filter bubble”. This is exactly why I haven’t trusted third-party online services (in addition to the data mining and privacy implications). You can’t trust that what you’re provided, even in response to a “generic” search query, is the whole truth. It’s filtered. Massaged. Processed. Tailored. In order to increase your likelihood of seeing (and hopefully clicking on) ads.
Perhaps even more insidious is the self-imposed filter bubbles, where people choose to expose themselves only to likeminded others, reinforcing whatever beliefs they’re interested in. If they don’t even see that other people have differing perspectives, I’m guessing they’re more likely to believe their perspective is The Truth™. That’s some dangerous stuff.
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