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I don't have the education to have a discussion with any of you on the algorithms or statistical distribution; but I would simply like to relay to you some personal observations.
Firstly, thank you for the article - it is a subject I have been thinking and talking about (without the science you include) for some time to all that would listen. Years ago, when I first saw recommendation systems on the net or aggregation websites (/. or digg or reddit) I innately felt that these systems would provide "gravitational" pull to certain subjects or objects and lead towards a monoculture. I still feel this way today. Sure there are a number of discovery systems being introduced but even these ones allow for weighting and as such are likely destined to become echo chambers. I suspect that these systems are creating islands of interest and at the same time decreasing mobility (from one island of interest to another).
To make a long story short: it isn't the end of niche - but the dying days of serendipity. I personally fear this. For me "serendipity" is the mechanism by which "I know how much I don't know". It helps me to be humble about my understanding of the world, which in turn allows me greater freedom to explore solutions to problems (even in deciding that a problem may not be a problem at all). Does this mean that I am less competitive than those that quickly reach for the recommended tool and execute the recommended procedure? I suppose - yes. Thus, the individual needs to make a proper decision: when to ascribe to "common knowledge" and when to allow serendipity to place you in a some random location. Has this made my life better - I don't really know... but my gut instinct is that randomness is good, and needs to be actively preserved. Thanks again for the article.
Online Monoculture and the End of the Niche
Online merchants such as Amazon, iTunes and Netflix may stock more items than your local book, CD, or video store, but they are no friend to "niche culture". Internet sharing mechanisms such as YouTube and Google PageRank, which distil the clicks of millions of people into recommendations, may a...
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