Reviews - Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture

753 reviews for:

Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture

Kyle Chayka

3.79 AVERAGE

periapocalipticdaddy's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

i think the best thing to get form this book is the word 'filterworld'. it does cover the impact of algorithmic regression to the mean on culture and summarizes it well for non-technical readers who might like to hear from a "how does he afford that on a journalists salary?" certain type of bougie writer. it does not, however, cover the technical reasons why this is happening, the systemic power behind this extraordinary homogenization of aesthetic, nor the literal fascism the owners of these homogenizing algorithms are perpetrating.

but i suppose a lot has changed in the last couple years we know more now idk. i'm not sure if it belongs in the canon of FilterWorld histories but i'd recommend it as a starting place to a certain kind of person.

deedoo's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 49%

DNF 49% The call is coming from inside the house! The author complains about cookie cutter coffee houses yet only frequents cookie cutter coffee houses. Several times I read “I used Yelp to find the most aesthetically pleasing coffee shop near my Airbnb.” he would then describe the same coffee house as the last time and then talk about how algorithms have caused the flattening of everything. It kind of seems like it’s people like you, friend, who are doing this. If you keep going to those places, then they are going to stay around.

Everything he is writing against he acknowledges that he does regularly and has no intention of stopping. I stopped reading at the Airbnb part because he made some good points about the problems with Airbnb, etc. and then flat out said I’m not gonna stop using Airbnb because I like the aesthetic better. You are the problem. He talks about how tourist destinations are becoming ruined because people are chasing the best Instagram photo. And then he proceeds to explain how he does the exact same thing. He lists more than a half dozen places that he frequents (always at an Airbnb).

How many times does someone have to hear the author feel sheepish for taking pictures of his food to post on Instagram or a waterfall in Iceland that everyone else has photographed? He’s close to getting the point of what he is writing, yet so far away!