#9.25.24

Briana via her IG story 🌸

What can’t the tool help you to see?:

Although Pinterest can be a useful tool after our exercise in class I found it hard to find the opposite or opposing side, even small aspects that might differ. Although this tool has a great way of showcasing what you want to find and giving you similar and close choices through images and video, it lacks the ability to be more diverse on its own.

What are its limitations?:

Pinterest has limitations to finding different views or opposing as said before. For example, let's say I look up "Red Hair Color Ideas," (which I shared a picture of below). In the image we see Pinterest has brought up many examples of red hair. There are different shades, different lengths, styled from straight to wavy, but in the end these all go back to a sort of red hair or variation of it. If Pinterest didn't have a limitation on finding other colors that the user might like we might see blue hair come up (the opposite primary from red). We saw some variations of red with orange or brunette, but there wasn't anywhere where we saw opposites or a section of "you might also want to try this." I didn't even see a purple hair color, which I feel like that might have been more common than if blue was to appear and usually has red hues to it. So, there is a limitation on what kind of hair color we can look into, but this isn't just hair color; this is any search. We might think that Pinterest is very explorative or ever expanding, which it can be. However, it is up to the user to add in the different searches and overtime this will start to navigate them to a more diverse algorithm, the tool itself does not add in those parts. Its only job is to find similar things to your search agenda.

Does it convey a bias with regard to analysis?:

Given that its job is to find similarities in pins and share those your way, it does convey a bias. The database will look at your search and then only load up or bring up pins with the association to the words given. The tool that is Pinterest is bias, because it is not playing debate, rather giving a speech at a solo show. The tool is there with an agenda catered to what goes in the search only and not what others outside that have to respond with. The tool is like a runner in a race, once the sound goes off to run, Pinterest quickly assembles multiple ideas through what is searched. The pins will provide you with similarity because they are only motivated on what was given to them and not what the other runners (other ideas in this case) are doing.

Does it, intentionally or not, have an ideology?:

It does intentionally have an ideology to cater towards the user. Specifically, though I think from other social media platforms, Pinterest is more exclusive in how it searches. If I was to look up something through Facebook or Instagram, I might get similar things through my feed after, but also different ones will be shown too, and they are broad. If you search an event like a musical, Facebook might recommend you a comedy because although they are different shows, they are being played at the same venue. Recipes are another thing; you might share something about baking muffins and Facebook will then start sharing you cooking videos regarding how to cook steak or season food - leading to how these algorithms have more broad categories and aren't as detailed as a platform like Pinterest is. However, Pinterest's ideology is just to stay in the specific box for their user and not to stroll off.

What tools would you need in order to overcome or situate this bias?:

I think in order to overcome or situate bias, you would have to use more than one tool, or you would have to search more and more opposing searches. If you use more than one tool, you can expand your search engines and way you understand things from genres to critical thinking. Other tools too have different meanings behind them, so if you went beyond just Pinterest it could be the first step in looking for a less specific or complete opposite idea. Though if you want to be like Pinterest and stay in the box, you can change it with a longer process. I said you could search different and opposing things and allow them to eventually start a change to your feed, but that doesn't just happen. Although Pinterest can be fast, you would need to enter in a variety of different searches for a long period of time, not just a few hours or a few days. Both ways take different amounts of time and are almost like research and experimentation. Though it really comes down to the user in order to overcome it, because you hold the important position of what to cater to and how the algorithm comes to be. So in the end, when it comes to our course if we want to find that difference it is up to us to control how far we can go. We can’t rely just on our tools, but our own thoughts and brainstorming, even talking with peers for different perspectives, but we have to make that step. The exercise we did in class is a way we can brainstorm or breakdown our own thoughts, but it isn’t the only way.

9 - √25 = 2 + √4

Also:

(√9 * 2) - 5 = 2 / √4

Also:

(√9 + 2) / 5 = 2 / √4

Also: