Search engines have become a key part of our everyday lives. Yetwhile much has been written about how to use search engines and howthey can be improved, there has been comparatively littleexploration of what the social and cultural effects might be. Likeall technologies, search engines exist within a larger political,cultural, and economic environment. This volume aims to redressthis balance and to address crucial questions such as: * How have search engines changed the way we organize ourthoughts about the world, and how we work? * What are the 'search engine wars', what do they portend forthe future of search, and who wins or loses? * To what extent does political control of search engines, or thepolitical influence of search engines, affect how they are used,misused, and regulated? * Does the search engine help shape our identities and interactionswith others, and what implications does this have for privacy? Informed members of the information society must understand thesocial contexts in which search engines have been developed, whatthat development says about us as a society, and the role of thesearch engine in the global information environment. This bookprovides the perfect starting point.
Autorentext
Alexander Halavais is a social architect, interested in ways of helping form a culture of creativity, freedom and justice. He is an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University, where he teaches in a masters program in interactive communications. Halavais has published extensively on the role of computing in social change, and edited an anthology entitled 'Cyberporn & Society.'
Zusammenfassung
Search engines have become a key part of our everyday lives. Yet while much has been written about how to use search engines and how they can be improved, there has been comparatively little exploration of what the social and cultural effects might be. Like all technologies, search engines exist within a larger political, cultural, and economic environment. This volume aims to redress this balance and to address crucial questions such as:
* How have search engines changed the way we organize our thoughts about the world, and how we work?
* What are the 'search engine wars', what do they portend for the future of search, and who wins or loses?
* To what extent does political control of search engines, or the political influence of search engines, affect how they are used, misused, and regulated?
* Does the search engine help shape our identities and interactions with others, and what implications does this have for privacy?
Informed members of the information society must understand the social contexts in which search engines have been developed, what that development says about us as a society, and the role of the search engine in the global information environment. This book provides the perfect starting point.
Inhalt
Contents.
Introduction.
Chapter 1: The Engines.
Chapter 2: Searching.
Chapter 3: Attention.
Chapter 4: Knowledge & Democracy.
Chapter 5: Censorship.
Chapter 6: Privacy.
Chapter 7: Sociable Search.
Chapter 8: Future Finding.
Endnotes.
Bibliography.
Glossary