Eli Pariser
Encyclopedia
Eli Pariser is the former Executive Director of MoveOn.org, and the organization's current Board President.
Pariser's rise to prominence as a political activist began when he and college student David H. Pickering launched an online petition calling for a nonmilitary response to the attacks of September 11th. (At the time, he was working as a program assistant for the national nonprofit More Than Money.) In less than a month, half a million people had signed the petition and in November of that year, Moveon.org founders Wes Boyd
and Joan Blades
asked Pariser to join their organization.
During the 2004 US Presidential Election, Pariser co-created the Bush in 30 Seconds
ad contest and raised over $30 million from small donors to run ads and back Democratic and progressive candidates. Writing for The New York Times Magazine
in 2003, journalist George Packer
referred to MoveOn as the "mainstream" element of what "may be the fastest-growing protest movement in American history."
Pariser noticed a pattern of differing responses to search engine
queries based on a user's past Internet search history, such that people with a liberal orientation would get one set of responses while conservatives might get an entirely different set of responses, if a person used Google
or Facebook
or Yahoo to search for a specific phrase or term on the Internet. For example, a liberal typing "BP" might get information about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
, while a conservative typing "BP" might get investment information about the oil company. This led to his development of the concept of a filter bubble
which he described in a book in which he argued that there was a danger that people would not get exposed to viewpoints different than their own.
and Emanuel Pariser of Waterville, Maine
.
In 2000, Pariser graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bard College at Simon's Rock (Simon's Rock) with a B.A. in law and political science and in 2005 returned to give the commencement speech to the graduates.
Pariser's rise to prominence as a political activist began when he and college student David H. Pickering launched an online petition calling for a nonmilitary response to the attacks of September 11th. (At the time, he was working as a program assistant for the national nonprofit More Than Money.) In less than a month, half a million people had signed the petition and in November of that year, Moveon.org founders Wes Boyd
Wes Boyd
Wes Boyd is an American businessman. In 1987, he and his wife Joan Blades were the co-founders of Berkeley Systems, a San Francisco Bay area software company. After selling the company in 1997, Boyd and Blades went on to found the progressive political group MoveOn.org.-External links:...
and Joan Blades
Joan Blades
Joan Blades was the cofounder in 1987 with her husband Wes Boyd of Berkeley Systems, a San Francisco Bay area software company known for marketing the After Dark screensaver and the You Don't Know Jack trivia game...
asked Pariser to join their organization.
During the 2004 US Presidential Election, Pariser co-created the Bush in 30 Seconds
Bush in 30 Seconds
Bushin30seconds.org is a liberal web site sponsored by MoveOn.org voter fund. The website showcases the results of a political advertising contest that was open to the public in November 2003, in which the goal was to criticize key points about George W...
ad contest and raised over $30 million from small donors to run ads and back Democratic and progressive candidates. Writing for The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
in 2003, journalist George Packer
George Packer
George Packer is an American journalist, novelist and playwright.-Biography:Packer's parents, Nancy Packer and Herbert Packer, were both academics at Stanford University; his maternal grandfather was George Huddleston, a congressman from Alabama. His sister, Ann Packer, is also a writer...
referred to MoveOn as the "mainstream" element of what "may be the fastest-growing protest movement in American history."
Pariser noticed a pattern of differing responses to search engine
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
queries based on a user's past Internet search history, such that people with a liberal orientation would get one set of responses while conservatives might get an entirely different set of responses, if a person used Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
or Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
or Yahoo to search for a specific phrase or term on the Internet. For example, a liberal typing "BP" might get information about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, while a conservative typing "BP" might get investment information about the oil company. This led to his development of the concept of a filter bubble
Filter bubble
A filter bubble is a concept developed by Internet activist Eli Pariser in his book by the same name to describe a phenomenon in which websites use algorithms to selectively guess what information a user would like to see based on information about the user like location, past click behaviour and...
which he described in a book in which he argued that there was a danger that people would not get exposed to viewpoints different than their own.
Personal life
He is the son of Dora Lievow of Camden, MaineCamden, Maine
Camden is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,254 at the 2000 census. The population of the town more than triples during the summer months, due to tourists and summer residents. Camden is a famous summer colony in the Mid-Coast region of Maine...
and Emanuel Pariser of Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
.
In 2000, Pariser graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bard College at Simon's Rock (Simon's Rock) with a B.A. in law and political science and in 2005 returned to give the commencement speech to the graduates.
Selected books
- 2011. Pariser, Eli. The filter bubble : what the Internet is hiding from you, New York : Penguin Press. ISBN 9781594203008
Further reading
- "How the Internet is being filtered specifically for you", MarketplaceMarketplace (radio program)Marketplace is a radio program that focuses on business, the economy, and events that influence them. Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, the show is produced and distributed by American Public Media, in association with the University of Southern California...
radio program, American Public MediaAmerican Public MediaAmerican Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
, Thursday, May 12, 2011. Interview with Eli Pariser about his 2011 book, The Filter Bubble. - "Biography: Eli Pariser", Encyclopedia of World Biography
- "Eli Pariser Biography", Eli Pariser website.
External links
- MoveOn.org
- Eli Pariser interview with Ross Reynolds, 5/24/2011, KUOW-FMKUOW-FMKUOW-FM 94.9 is a National Public Radio affiliate radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is a top-ranked radio station in the Seattle/Tacoma media market...
Seattle