Original title: Algorithms and their others: Algorithmic culture in context
An algorithm is a set of steps for solving a problem. The paper starts from the idea that programs combine algorithms with data structures, which organize information. It asks how focusing on algorithms changes the way we study digital cultureThe ways digital technologies shape everyday life and shared practices.. The key point is that this lens brings some things into view and leaves others out.
When you pack a bag, you choose what to bring and what to leave behind. Focusing on one item can help you see how it fits, but it can also distract you from the rest of the bag. In this paper, focusing on algorithms is like choosing one item to inspect: it helps researchers see some parts of digital culture while leaving others out of view.
Algorithms shape how people understand and study contemporary digital culture. This paper asks what becomes visible when researchers focus on algorithms—and what may be missed when they do.
The abstract describes the paper's questions and starting point, but does not state its specific findings, methods, or the limits of its analysis. It does not establish that an algorithmic lens is always useful or that it captures digital culture as a whole.
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Algorithms and their others: Algorithmic culture in context — Paul Dourish — Big Data & Society — doi:10.1177/2053951716665128
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.