Google PageRank and Bias
In this article, the author makes a claim that any attempts at employee diversity will fail at Google unless they make changes to their core values and structure. However, the interesting point of the article is when they bring up Google’s PageRank algorithm as part of their argument. They state that Google has been built around a biased search engine that strips searches of diversity and creates a very one sided view of any argument or question. It argues that diverse spectrum of answers to any search will be buried by a single conclusion that is generally supported. The PageRank algorithm works by giving power to a webpage that is linked by many other pages and spreading that power to any page that the powerful page links to or recommends. This means that if one particular argument or view is generally accepted, then it will generate confirmation bias that will overpower any lesser known or radical views in Google’s PageRank.
While I can see the author’s point in that PageRank does generate bias, his argument seems uninformed as to assume that Google’s PageRank chooses the most popular view on a topic or argument and buries any other side. While PageRank does create confirmation bias to a certain degree, if someone uses Google to research a controversial topic they will most likely find results for multiple sides of the argument. This is because while one opinion is may be more popular than another, it is common for websites to link to popular pages on the opposing argument when they make their rebuttals and vice-versa. This means that there is a flow of ‘importance’ into the less popular argument from the more popular one so that the rankings are not completely biased. This will also shield the user from very radical opinions that the end user would probably not care for since no one will link to an obscure conspiracy theorist. This means that while Google’s PageRank does create some bias as to what the user sees in his/her search result, it manages to filter out any irrelevant arguments or views while maintaining a healthy balance of the most important or controversial views on a subject.
This article uses Google’s PageRank algorithm as an example in its argument. We learned about the concepts of PageRank in class and it seems that the author has a limited understanding of how it works.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelthomsen/2014/09/30/why-googles-employee-diversity-programs-are-doomed-to-fail/