The feel of algorithms

Abstract

The more ordinary the algorithm becomes, the more intricate its connections and implications. The social world may have been reordered through its presences, yet the influence of the algorithm remains something of a puzzle. That is perhaps why the field of algorithm studies is so active – it has a living problem to try to solve. Across the field, a number of angles have been employed to get glimpses of the algorithm in action. Minna Ruckenstein's carefully composed new book predominantly sees algorithms through the lens of those engaging with their outputs. In its pages algorithms take on a material form fleshed out in the accounts of those interviewed. Excerpts and examples from the interviews, which are integrated into the text as short interventions, illustrate the actions of algorithms and the feel these participants have for them. The book looks closely at the way that algorithmic experiences are described or accounted for.