Information filtering, or \u201cfilter bubbles,\u201d as author and cofounder of Upworthy Eli Pariser calls it in his TED Talk, can circumscribe the information we see when we conduct those searches.<\/p>\n
If we are willing to break away from the convenience of Google, we could use other search services. DuckDuckGo and Startpage are just two of several search engines that provide more privacy than some of the big names.<\/p>\n
For, instance, DuckDuckGo does not engage in \u201csearch leakage,\u201d as that firm calls it. It notes that other search engines save not only individual searches, but also your search history:<\/p>\n
\nAlso, note that with this information your searches can be tied together. This means someone can see everything you\u2019ve been searching, not just one isolated search. You can usually find out a lot about a person from their search history.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
But worse, search engines may release searches without adequately anonymizing the information, or that information may be hacked.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Startpage allows you to funnel your search in a way that obtains Google results without your personally identifiable information traveling along with the query.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But, how many of us opt to use a search engine other than Google? Google is still the dominant search engine worldwide.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Filtering information<\/h2>\n
So, then, are we weaving our own webs without carefully thinking about the many implications of doing so?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Look at how we selectively create and share our experiences on the fly, editing and filtering digital information along the way, and making choices about permissions to view and to share. For instance, imagine the millions of selfies that reflect our individual personas while being shared within a larger social mosaic of interconnected audiences.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sometimes we may not even be aware of who can access our content or how it is distributed beyond our immediate circle of friends. Consider our focused concentration on texting while being in large crowds and ignoring the chance encounters with others or missing the random scenery of everyday experience.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Information-filtering is ongoing in all these contexts and is both internally and externally constructed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Empowered contributors<\/h2>\n
What does metaliteracy do?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Metaliteracy prepares us to ask critical questions about our searches and the technologies we use to seek answers and to communicate with others.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We do not just accept the authority of information because it comes from an established news organization, a celebrity, a friend, or a friend of a friend. Metaliteracy encourages reflection on the circumstances of the information produced.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It prepares us to ask whether or not the materials came from an individual or an organization and to determine the reason for posting or publishing it. As part of this process, the metaliterate learner will seek to verify the source and ask questions about how the information is presented and in what format.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Metaliterate individuals gain insights about open environments and how to share their knowledge in these spaces. For instance, they are well aware of the importance of Creative Commons licenses for determining what information can be reused freely, and for making such content openly available for others’ purposes, or for producing their own content.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They also understand the importance of peer review and peer communities for generating and editing content for such sites as Wikipedia, or open textbooks, and other forms of Open Educational Resources (OERs).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The truth is that we can all be metaliterate learners \u2013 meditative and empowered, asking perceptive questions, thinking about what and how we learn, while sharing our content and insights as we make contributions to society.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Trudi Jacobson is Distinguished Librarian at University at Albany, State University of New York.
Thomas P Mackey is Vice Provost for Academic Programs at SUNY Empire State College.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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