OII SDP 2007 (V): The Quest for the Perfect Search Engine

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

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SDP 2007 related posts (2007)

If you need to cite this article in a formal way (i.e. for bibliographical purposes) I dare suggest:

Peña-López, I. (2007) “OII SDP 2007 (V): The Quest for the Perfect Search Engine” In ICTlogy, #46, July 2007. Barcelona: ICTlogy.
Retrieved month dd, yyyy from https://ictlogy.net/review/?p=570

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