going to look at a website every one of us has definitely used in our lifetime, the massive

要來看看這個 所有人都一定用過的網頁，這個巨大的

machine that is Google.

機器：Google

The first ever website came in 1991 and Google launched in 1998. In 2013, there were 672

最早的網頁在1991年問世，而Google則在1998發行。到了2013年，世界上共有

million active websites with 2.7 billion internet users worldwide. That’s four users per website.

6.72億個網頁以及27億用戶。每四個用戶就有一個網頁

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but for search engines and aggregators, factors have to be

聽起來不多，但對搜尋引擎和整合器來說，要考量各種因素

taken into account to rank pages higher according to relevance.

好根據相關度 幫網頁排序

In 2007, Google beat Microsoft to become the most visited site on the web and has been

2007年，Google打敗了Microsoft，成為最常被造訪的網站，直到現在

ever since, closely followed by facebook and YouTube.

Facebook和YouTube則緊追在後

What goes on behind the scenes are things called algorithms that are defined as “a

他的背後有一套演算法則，定義為某種

computable set of steps to achieve a desired result.” Google’s famed prominence is

計算流程，可以得到我們想要的結果。Google最有名的優勢就在於

down to a patented algorithm called PageRank that helps rank web pages in search engine

一個叫做PageRank的演算法則，可以排列出搜尋引擎的網頁查詢結果

results and the name comes from one of Google’s founders Larry Page.

而這個名字是Google的創辦人之一，Larry Page取的

According to Google, “PageRank works by counting the number and quality of links to

根據Google的說法，「PageRank運作的原理是 計算一個網頁的 連結的數量和品質

a page to determine a rough estimate of how important the website is. Algorithms are computer

以粗估出這個網頁有多重要。而演算法則是一種電腦程式

programs that look for clues to give you back exactly what you want.”

他會尋找線索，提供你需要的東西」

PageRank is one of over 200 invisible algorithms amongst other criteria that Google are known

Google嚴密地保護超過200個無形的演算法則，而PageRank只是

to notoriously protect, the specifics of which are kept secret to beat off competition, or

其中之一。這些演算法則的詳細內容能打敗競爭對手，或

eradicate other sites by giving a lower page ranking and help Google maintain an edge over

給別的網站很低的網頁排名，進而根除那些網頁，讓Google得以保持在全球

its competitors globally.

競爭者之上。

And it seems it will remain confidential as Eric Schmidt, the Execuitive chairman of Google

RankPage似乎會保持機密，如同 Eric Schmidt，Google的執行長，

had this to say in 2010.

在2010年所說

This is why YouTube and Gmail are so successful. Moz say if you promote content on Google+

這就是YouTube和Gmail成功的原因。Moz說，若是要推銷某個內容，用Google+的效果

it will do better than other social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Even after

會比別的社群網站好很多，例如Twitter和Facebook。在某次用Google搜尋

Googling Moz today Moz ads are now appearing throughout my web searches.

Moz之後，Moz的廣告持續出現在我的每個搜尋結果。

If I search for something online and you search the exact same thing now at the time, we would

如果我跟你同時在網路上搜尋一模一樣的東西，我們可能

get very different results. There is no standard Google and we can’t see how our search results

得到非常不一樣的搜尋結果。Google沒有標準的結果，我們也無從得知 自己的搜尋結果

are different from others.

跟別人的哪裡不一樣。

But what relevance is this? These sites notice what we click on so advertisers can target

但這有什麼關聯？這些網站會記下我們造訪的網頁，甚至不會先詢問我們，好讓廣告業者

us and pay to appear at the top of the search bar without even consulting us, deciding what

付錢，然後出現在我們搜尋結果的最上方。這也決定了我們

we are shown. Governments can control and show information that they want.

所看到的內容。政府也可以如此控制或放出篩選過的資訊。

On June 2nd this year, Google was blocked in China for the two days leading up to, during

今年的7月2日，也就是 宣揚民主的天安門事件 第25週年期間

and after the 25th anniversary of the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. The Chinese

Google就被中國封鎖了三天。中國政府正是

government was behind the block, targeting Google’s search engine and Gmail. GreatFire,

幕後者，針對著Google搜尋引擎和Gmail。Greatfire，

an online censorship group in China said," because the block lasted for four days, it's

一個中國的線上審察團體，說 因為封鎖持續了四天，所以

more likely that Google will be severely disrupted and barely usable from now on.”

現在起Google很可能會被嚴重的擾亂，不敷使用

The internet is showing us what it thinks we want to see, or is it? In a broadcast society,

網路呈現了我們想看的東西，有嗎？在廣播的世界裡，

the editors controlled and were criticised for what stories were covered and what stories

編輯者們決定了故事是被隱藏或是忽略，也因此飽受批評。

they chose to ignore. The internet changed that. You don’t get to decide what gets in or what

但網路改變了這樣的情況。人們不必決定哪些東西該留著，

gets filtered out. So control has been passed onto algorithms on Google, Facebook, Twitter

哪些該過濾掉。控制權已經交到了演算系統的手上，像是Google, Facebook, Twitter

and so on.

···等等。

There have been no ethics to algorithms...until the right to be forgotten ruling in the European

演算法則一直以來都不受道德規範...直到 被遺忘權 在今年五月歐洲的

Court of Justice this May. The court said links to irrelevant and outdated data should be

正義法庭盛行。法庭裁決 不相干或過時資料的連結 應該在被索取時才出現

on request. Google said it would assess each request and balance "privacy rights of the

Google表示 會評估各個索取，並且衡量“個人的隱私權

individual with the public's right to know and distribute information."

以及 社會大眾知道和散播消息的權利”

So should Google and its algorithms forget us? Earlier this week Wikipedia’s founder

所以，Google和他的演算法則應該遺忘我們嗎？這週稍早，Wikipedia的創辦者

Jimmy Wales swore to fight censorship and the right to be forgotten ruling. He is one

Jimmy Wales誓言挑戰 審察以及被遺忘權 的裁決。包含他在內，

of ten people appointed to a panel charged with drawing up guidance for search engines

一共有十個人被傳喚到了法庭。原因是他們草擬了一種方式，幫助搜尋引擎

on how to handle requests to remove links to web pages under the right to be forgotten

提供被索取的資料，同時卻能在被遺忘權的法案下

legislation. The panel also funnily enough includes Google’s Eric Schmidt and David

移除該網頁的連結。有趣的是，陪審團也傳喚了Google的Eric Schmidt和

Drummond.

David Drummond

Wales said Google had been asked to remove five links that were on Wikipedia in the past

Wales說 Google在過去一週被要求移除五個Wikipedia的連結

week and as a result Wikipedia decided to publish these notices online here. They included

結果，Wiki決定在網路上公布這些要求。這五個連結包括

articles from search results of an image of young man playing a guitar, a page about Gerry

一個年輕人彈吉他的圖片 的搜尋結果，一個有關Gerry Hutch的

Hutch, a former criminal and a page about Rento Vallanzasca, an Italian gangster.

網頁，一個有關前科犯、義大利流氓Rento Vallanzasca的網頁。

Google revealed last month that it had received more than 91,000 requests to delete a combined

Google上個月透露，他們收到了約9.1萬份要求，在歐洲 被遺忘權的裁決下

total of 328,000 links under Europe's right to be forgotten ruling.

要求刪除共32.8萬個連結

So does Google have algorithms to promote one site over another? Are they controlling

所以，Google有 能夠推銷特定網站的演算法則 嗎？他們正在控制

what exactly what we search for? Do you have any examples of this you have come across?

我們搜尋的一切嗎？你有遇過任何實例嗎？

The lack of competition is great for Google’s revenue and a company is yet to take them

競爭力的缺少對Google的收入有益，而他們也將把握這點。

on. Perhaps Apple should give it a go. Oh yes, I went there. You know where to let me

或許Apple也該試試。沒錯，我去過那裡。你知道如何讓我

know your thoughts. My video on Putin and his $40billion fortune from last week is here.

知道你們的想法。我上週有關 Putin和他的4億財產 的影片在這

Get subscribed if you’re not already here. See you with a very special guest next Friday.

按這裡訂閱，如果你還沒。我們將會有一個非常特別的來賓，下週五見