In Coupland's article, he talks about the future. The future
where complex algorithms will essentially create "doppelgangers" of everyone’s
online persona and by doing so, the internet will be able to exercise a
tremendous amount of control over your choices. This article was a fun read,
in the sense that it provided hypothetical scenarios which don't particularly
bode well for our freedom in a world soon to be shaped by information
(ironically: our own information). While I do agree that there is a possibility
that it could turn out as bad as Copeland suggests, I would hazard to propose
that it wouldn't be. While there are already examples such as "tailored
advertising" and Ebay's "suggestions" based on previously bought
items, I feel like there would be too strong of a collective pushback if things
get too bad. For example, if our options began appearing too limited simply as
a result of previous choices, there would almost certainly be a riot. Although I love
to be catered to, I have an equivalent hatred for losing control. And I assume
the same for the average netizen, because the internet at the moment, is about
the freedom to essentially do whatever you want in one capacity or another.
Freedom to say yes or no, to access what you please.
References
Coupland, Douglas (2015). We are data: the future of machine intelligence. FT Magazine, July 16, URL: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/475789b8-2b2b-11e5-acfb-cbd2e1c81cca.html - axzz3isfNOLpl
Great post, Karl! You too seem to believe that Coupland was a bit too cynical. One thing that he doesn't mention, which also fits with his argument I think, is the potential for convincing online "identities" that aren't real at all. I'm thinking about the highly attractive people on social networking apps who aren't really there at all; they're robotic profiles using some catalogue model's photo who exist as eye-candy to attract people to use the network. This is something that's very different from our low-tech past and perhaps foreshadowing of our higher-tech future. We don't have "fake" people walking around offline yet... Or do we? ;)
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