Microsoft Patent Hints At Search Results Tailored To User's Mood, Intelligence 146
theodp writes "A newly surfaced Microsoft patent application, reports GeekWire, describes a 'user-following engine' that analyzes your posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to deduce your mood, interests, and even your smarts. The system would then automatically adjust the search experience and results to better match those characteristics, explains Microsoft, such as changing the background color of the search interface to suit your mood, or bringing back only those search results that won't strain your feeble brain. From the patent application: 'In addition to skewing the search results to the user's inferred interests, the user-following engine may further tailor the search results to a user's comprehension level. For example, an intelligent processing module may be directed to discerning the sophistication and education level of the posts of a user. Based on that inference, the customization engine may vary the sophistication level of the customized search result.'"
But isn't this Microsoft all over? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Number one reason I dislike Microsoft... (Score:2, Insightful)
All the big names treat their customers like morons. Apple makes computers and phone tailored to fit the needs of imbeciles. Google customizes searches so you don't need to do any footwork to find what you are looking for. Microsoft does the same. Its how to sell a lot of products nowadays, people want all their thinking done for them.
So does it default to... (Score:4, Insightful)
"Can't find him on FaceBook. He must be stupid".
-or-
"Can't find him on FaceBook. He must be smart".
Trapped by personal history? (Score:4, Insightful)
I worry that customizing *search*, or customizing computer-based mediation/filtering of objective reality (as will be possible through video glasses and earphones) -- especially if made somewhat automatic by corporate-defined models of how people behave -- will eventually cause people to be trapped by their own personal history of thoughts and beliefs.
It's like people being attracted to Fox News or the Rush Limbaugh radio show because of whatever thoughts and beliefs they have at the time, and then forever finding comfort there because of a lack of competing/challenging input (partly because the opportunity for alternative input is crowded out by the activity of viewing/listening to their initial media channel of choice).
We are all familiar with "helpful" automation making choices that go against our personal wishes (or, at best, are simply unhelpful). But search (and, soon, mediated reality for the masses) creates the scary possibility of people becoming very isolated and trapped by their own history of personal actions and implied "preferences".
I've sometimes done web searches for things in which I had only incidental interest -- topics which might even offend me, but which I would like to learn about for the purposes of being informed -- and the search service has inferred that I am actually generally interested in those topics. Needless to say, the chance for automated systems drawing the wrong conclusions is very high.
I've seen blogs and discussion forums with communities with wacky beliefs, and it's sad that the insanity doesn't get any constructive criticism because of "moderators" (ironic term here) deleting any challenging/opposing comments. In the same way, unwittingly or intentionally, a person might become immersed in their own world of information.
I actually like the idea of modifying reality! I'd love to surround myself with challenging and encouraging avatars with virtual reality glasses and earphones, because I think having personal coaches and cheerleaders around me all the time (virtually) would be a supernatural boost. I don't know how to reconcile my attraction for that idea with my general concern about people experiencing detrimental self-delusion, except to say that I think that *automatic* guesses about "preferences" seems bad.
Although people can benefit from their memories (e.g., education and work experience) and past actions (e.g., earning money, buying and accumulating things), I worry about mechanisms that TRAP people in to their own legacy of memories and actions. Things like credit scores, criminal records, Internet records, etc, can make it difficult for people to change direction and grow, and have a new phase in their lives. Given the increasing role of Internet search and mediated reality in the lives of ordinary people, a new, and profoundly influential, mental trap is being built around them. I'm not judging it, but for some people their avatar in the World of Warcraft MMORPG is as much an influence on their lives as real-world people; and, in the same way, I think web search and mediated reality will eventually become the dominant influences in the lives of many people. I think the widespread absorption of people with their smartphones (after the earlier phenomenon of "Crackberry" devices) is somewhat telling.
Re:But isn't this Microsoft all over? (Score:5, Insightful)
More than that, don't look for any possible truths outside of your opinions and existing personal prejudices. If you can't face facts, then design a system that gladly tells you the lies you want to hear. Promotes your ignorance and panders to your stupidity. This isn't convenience, its self perpetuating brain damage.
Inferred interest? (Score:5, Insightful)
In addition to skewing the search results to the user's inferred interests, the user-following engine may further tailor the search results to a user's comprehension level.
<Samuel L. Jackson Voice>
Dear Condescending Microsoft Motherfuckers. My motherfucking search interests are directly expressed by my motherfucking search query - that's why I fucking entered it. In addition, there are times I want to actually *learn* something, which necessitates results above my current motherfucking comprehension level.
</Samuel L. Jackson Voice>
Why can't search engines simply answer the questions as I ask and let *me* worry about asking better questions?
Re:But isn't this Microsoft all over? (Score:4, Insightful)
It, contrary to popular (indeed, encouraged) belief, doesn't just work.
Respectfully, nothing "just works".
You may, or may not, choose to hate those who give you work. You may, or may not choose to believe that people who do not know something that you do, are somehow inferior.
But to bring this back to the Apple versus PC, Chevy versus Ford pissing contest, It takes a special kind of foolishness to state that Apple users are idiots who don't know a thing about their computers. I supported Apples, Windows, and even a bit of Linux, and I've found it very advantageous career and pay wise to look at the customer as a resource, not some sort of idiot ranked by OS. How's superiority over the customer work out for you?
Re:Number one reason I dislike Microsoft... (Score:3, Insightful)
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
- H.L. Mencken