Student research seminar: Michael Zimmer
My presentation will include a quick overview of my dissertation research, as well as the “value-conscious design” methodology I am attempting to apply in order to pragmatically engage with the web search engine industry. I will also outline the “next steps” of the work, and my hope is that attendees can help me identify new avenues of exploration and solve some of the methodological and philosophical gaps in the project.
Faustian Bargain: privacy vs. better search, must provide information to participate. Then: how to design good technology with a value-conscious design, including moral and ethical values. Is this bargain acceptable? depends on efficiency, utility and relevancy.
Perfect search:
- provide results that suit the context and intent of the search query
- User satisfaction and loyalty
- Increased revenues, due to better fitting ads with context
Perfect reach: process and understand all the information of the world
Perfect recall: understand what you want, give you what you want
Threat to Spheres of Mobility: search engines are the latest tech medium to support physical intellectual and digital mobility
What’s next
- Need answers to the “nothing to hide” argument
- Need FoxNews sound bites…
- Initiate empirical examination of uses, harms & effects: perform Eszter Hargittai-type user studies, collaborations
- Engage with technical design community
My reflections
More info
- SDP2007 Presentation: The Quest for the Perfect Search Engine, blogpost by Michael Zimmer
- Dissertation abstract
- Research blog
- Values in Technology Design
- Value Sensitive Design Research Lab
- Values in Computer and Information System Design Graduate Student Workshop
- Quest for the Perfect Dissertation, by Daithí Mac Síthigh
- Perfect Search and the Perfect Presentation, by Joris van Hoboken
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