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"The algorithms that surface content for us on Facebook and Google are miracles of modern programming. But Eli Pariser, author and chairman of the board at MoveOn.org, has concerns.\nIn March, Pariser gave a popular TED talk about \"filter bubbles\" \u2014 the idea that when search and social networks only serve us content that we \"like,\" we're not seeing content we need. He cited examples where liberal-leaning Facebook friends only see fellow liberals in their \"Top Stories,\" or a frequent traveler only got tourism results when Googling \"Egypt\" in the midst of the Arab Spring.\nAs users increasingly get their news from curated social channels, this trend has the potential to isolate us and damage our world view.\nAt Friday's Mashable Media Summit, Pariser offered some solutions, and focused on how human editors and algorithms can work together to get users clicking on content that matters.\n7 Things That Personalization Algorithms Do Poorly\nPariser pointed out the critical things that social personalization gets wrong when it comes to content.\n\nAnticipation: If there's a small story about a meeting of the Greek parliament today, a human editor could anticipate that stocks might tumble tomorrow. Algorithms are rarely good at making this kind of abstract correlation.\nRisk Taking: For an algorithm to be successful, it needs to be right most of the time. Suggestion engines almost always offer up \"safe\" content within a very narrow spectrum. Human editors have the will to take risks on content that might be wildly successful (or fail miserably).\nBig Picture: Algorithms seldom connect the dots between specs of content to form a big picture of current events. An editor can create a front page (today, a homepage) that shows the news of the day in context, and arranged by importance.\nPairing: Human editors can draw you in with something \"clicky\" and get you to stick around by pairing that item with something of substance. This can be an art more than a science, which is why algorithms come up short.\nSocial Importance: Algorithms are good at surfacing what's popular but not necessarily what's important. The war in Afghanistan may not be \"likeable\" or \"clickable,\" but a human editor can ensure that stories about it get seen.\nMind-Blowingness: Pariser spoke about the Napoleon Dynamite problem on Netflix. Users either loved the movie (rated it five stars) or hated it (one star). Because the Netflix algorithm doesn't like making risky recommendations, it often eschewed Napoleon from suggestion lists \u2014 even though people who like the movie really like the movie. \nTrust: People learn to trust good editors. If something seems boring or irrelevant but a trusted editor says it's important, you'll heed. Algorithms may never be so trustworthy.\n\nHow Do We Fix It?\nIn his talk, Pariser noted that nearly every major online media company and platform is moving toward some level of personalization. And why not? It drives clicks and engagement, which drives revenue.\nBut how can we create balance? For his book The Filter Bubble, Pariser asked the big platforms (Facebook, Google and Netflix, among others) about the difference between implicit and behavioral intent.\n\"In this era where we have data about everyone, do you trust behavioral data, or what people actually say they want?\" he posed from the stage of the Media Summit. \"If you don't trust what users say they want, then users lose agency. You're just sending them things they will click on.\"\nIt's clear the current platforms don't get us there on their own. But by striking a balance between editors and code, Pariser thinks we can get the best of both worlds.\n\"The great thing about the Internet is that it's a very malleable thing,\" he said. \"It's not a medium, it's a meta-medium.\"\nBy hooking people with content users like and pairing it with content users need, editors can drive traffic and value simultaneously. \n\"How do we make hard news as irresistible as LOLcats? That is what news is competing with. We need to find new ways of packaging it,\" Pariser asserted.\n\"The Internet can go either way. It can encapsulate us in a little bubble of our narrow interests, or it can connect us to new people and ways of thinking.\" The latter is what we all hoped for, Pariser said. And his hybrid media strategy might be one way to save us from creating \"a bubble of one.\"\n\n\nMashable Media Summit 2011\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011\nThe Mashable Media Summit on Nov. 4 at the Times Center in New York City attracted professionals in digital, tech, advertising, sales, marketing, mobile and publishing from all over the world.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011\nWe had a packed house in attendance for this year's Media Summit.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Future of Social Media\nPete Cashmore, founder and CEO of Mashable, speaks on the future of social media, its current landscape and what trends to expect for 2012.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011\nThis year's Media Summit was located at the Times Center in New York City.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSocial Media Grows Up: The Evolving Role of Social Media in News Organizations\nMashable's community manager Meghan Peters chats with Katie Rogers, social media manager at The Washington Post; Anthony De Rosa, social media editor at Reuters; and Drake Martinet, social media editor at AllThingsD.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTeaching \u2013 and Learning From \u2013 The Old Grey Lady\nBrian Stelter, a media reporter and blogger at The New York Times speaks at the Media Summit.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Filter Bubble: How to Fix Content Curation\nEli Pariser, author and chairman of the board at MoveOn.org, discusses how human editors and algorithms can work together to get users clicking on content that matters.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat Facebook's New Features Mean For Journalism\nAdam Ostrow, executive editor and senior vice president of content, Mashable speaks with Vadim Lavrusik, journalist program manager of  Facebook, about how the social network's new features can help journalists.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The Evolution of Sports Illustrated\nSports Illustrated Group editor, Terry McDonell, talks about the magazine's transition from print to digital with Mashable's Editor in Chief Lance Ulanoff.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFrom Tactile to Mobile\nJosh Koppel, co-founder and chief creative officer of ScrollMotion, speaks on the reinvention of content experience and engagement.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTV Makes You Smarter\nChristy Tanner, TV Guide's general manager and executive vice president, explains how technology is changing entertainment for better and for worse.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTV Guide Audience\nA member of the audience asks TVGuide general manager and EVP Christy Tanner about technology's changes to the entertainment industry.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWho Owns Your Identity?\nMashable Senior Vice President Robyn Peterson speaks with Andy Mitchell, strategic partner of development at Facebook about how much of our identity is shared to third-party sites. Also on stage is Patrick Harding, CTO of Ping Identity, and Tim Dierks, senior vice president of engineering at Huffington Post.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWho Owns Your Identity?\nMashable Senior Vice President Robyn Peterson speaks with Andy Mitchell, strategic partner of development at Facebook; Patrick Harding, CTO of Ping Identity; and Tim Dierks, senior vice president of engineering at Huffington Post about how much of our identity is shared to third-party sites.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLike A Virgin\nTor Myhren, Grey president and chief creative officer, talked about the ultimate user experience, and how different it is today from when he was a teen. Here he is at age 14. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLike A Virgin \nTor Myhren, Grey president and chief creative officer, talked about the ultimate user experience, and how different it is today from when he was a teen.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The Problem of Prediction\nTony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, discusses how real time data changes what you should be doing. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMashable's Big Announcement\nAt Mashable Media Summit, we announced the Mashable Publisher Platform, a new editorially curated syndication experience that brings content from select publishers to our site.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Importance of Being Awesome\nFaris Yakob, chief innovation officer of MDC Partners\u2019 kbs+p and founding partner of Spies &amp; Assassins, covers from art and copy to arduinos and code, and how important it is to be awesome.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAT&amp;T Brings 4G to NYC\nLarry Solomon, AT&amp;T's senior vice president of corporate communications, announced that 4G LTE will be coming to New York City.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAT&amp;T\nSpecial thanks to our presenting sponsor, AT&amp;T. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOne on One\nBloomberg TV anchor Emily Chang talks tech with Foursquare's General Manager Evan Cohen.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe New Model of Content and Commerce\nLauren Indvik, marketing and media associate editor at Mashable, is joined by a panel including Alexis Maybank, founder and chief marketing officer of Gilt Groupe\u2028; Maureen Mullen, research and advisory lead of L2; and David Granger, editor in chief of Esquire.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe New Model of Content and Commerce\nLauren Indvik, marketing and media associate editor at Mashable, is joined by a panel including Alexis Maybank, Founder and chief marketing officer of Gilt Groupe\u2028; Maureen Mullen, research and advisory lead of L2; and David Granger, editor in chief of Esquire.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Future of Social TV\nMashable's entertainment editor Christina Warren talks with a panel including Alex Iskold, GetGlue founder and CEO; Jesse Redniss, vice president of digital, USA Networks; and Tom Thai, vice president of marketing and business development at Bluefin Labs, about the future of social media in its relationship with television.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Future of Social TV\nMashable's entertainment editor Christina Warren talks with a panel including Alex Iskold, GetGlue founder and CEO; Jesse Redniss, vice president of digital, USA Networks; and Tom Thai, vice president of marketing and business development at Bluefin Labs, about the future of social media in its relationship with television.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Future of Social TV\nMashable's entertainment editor Christina Warren talks with a panel including Alex Iskold, GetGlue founder and CEO; Jesse Redniss, vice president of digital, USA Networks; and Tom Thai, vice president of marketing and business development at Bluefin Labs, about the future of social media in its relationship with television.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreaking Down Content Barriers\nMichael Lazerow, founder and CEO of Buddy Media talks about the rules of content that need to be changed for social media.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors for the Mashable Media Summit 2011\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGetting Ready for the Post-Conference Reception\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia Summit 2011 Reception \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nPresenting Sponsor: AT&amp;T\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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