Course:LIBR559A/Gerlitz, C., & Helmond, A. (2013)

Citation

Gerlitz, C., & Helmond, A. (2013). The like economy: Social buttons and the data-intensive web. New Media & Society 15(8). 1348 – 1365.

Main Arguments

The authors argue that Facebook’s Like buttons and similar technologies have de-centralized how value is assigned to webpages. Facebook’s Like buttons allows users to bookmark webpages and share these pages with Facebook users; creating a recommendation system. This recommendation system informs search engine results (Google’s PageRank algorithm). Assigning value to webpages this way is more democratic than in the Web 1.0 environment where webmasters increased webpage discoverability by linking to “authoritative” webpages.

The authors also argue that Facebook’s Like buttons and similar technologies have created a “Like economy” that exists to anticipate consumption trends (the advertising industry) (1349).

Another key point the authors highlight is the lack of consent that occurs in gathering web user’s surfing. When web users Like something they are aware that they are sharing their preferences. However there are companies, including Facebook, that collect web browsing information without the user clicking any Like button.

Theoretical Frameworks

The authors describe a situation in which programmers at Facebook are striving to “build a web where the default is social” (1352). However, the authors do not delve into the sociology of this technology. A sociologist would ask why some of us are striving for such a web. The authors of this report do not. I can see how it might be comforting to filter the copious amounts of information on the web to only see what one’s friends have liked. But that is not the whole story when talking about a technology that looks a lot like surveillance.

Method

This work relies primarily on previous scholarship, which is appropriate as it is a history of the “Like economy” (1349). The authors also rely on Facebook statistics and Facebook developer blogs.

Pitfalls

Using Facebook as a source of information is not without problems. However there is no indication that this might entail disinformation of partial information. I am troubled when people talk about connecting browsing data to user profiles, only in so far as this relates to advertising opportunities. It allows for other, less amicable, opportunities as well. While I am flattered that Facebook is collecting data about me, I wonder when this information will be used against me. Perhaps today it is about advertising, but maybe tomorrow Facebook will be informing another social-cleansing crusade.

Keywords

Facebook, Like Button, Like Economy

Page Author: Megan McField