Weapons of Math Destruction – Lecture Synopsis

Last November I attended one event connecting to crucial aspects of Object-Oriented Subject’s research, namely the exploration of the relationships of power and control embedded in algorithms. This event was a lecture by Cathy O’Neil in Utrecht, given on the 21st of November. As some interesting insights were gathered during this occasion, especially concerning a data scientist’s perspective on algorithm design and application, I would like to write a synopsis of the most relevant points raised by Cathy O’Neil. Continue reading “Weapons of Math Destruction – Lecture Synopsis”

Mining patent data – preliminary results

The number of patents in which Facebook is the assignee currently surpasses the 5000. Not all these patents are closely related to our research, certainly – but how to make a good selection amongst such a huge amount of documents? The interface of the service we chose to use made it possible to use filters which certainly help ‘optimize’ the number of results. By using specific search terms, the displayed results are tailored to what one knows to be relevant. But what about the words that one does not know that could also be relevant? How can one have an overview of the existing content while selecting relevant pieces from it? This blog post is a brief overview of how we approached this issue. Continue reading “Mining patent data – preliminary results”

Mapping the Network

How to start a research that aims at identifying and describing Facebook’s strategies in mapping our desires?

When dealing with such a huge network of data, tools, categories and involved parties, it does not take much to get lost. Our preliminary intuition was to have a look at and register the most basic entry points: the tools that Facebook makes available for advertisers and developers. Continue reading “Mapping the Network”