Here's a quick update to last week's SMT discussion of Google's new facial recognition search (which has some insightful commentary by TagMeNot creator Alberto Cammozzo).
As much as Google is able to throw its weight around on the internet, we know that Facebook is the one that holds tight on the social networking data. And now Facebook has just been granted a new search patent that prioritizes search results based on the preferences of the connections in your personal network. This essentially automates (or completely replaces) the process of asking your friends for their opinions on news stories, upcoming events, purchases, etc. But instead of just asking friends, it's like you're asking "friends of friends," or even "friends of friends of friends." Think of it as being like word-of-mouth (WOM), but with more layers like, say, "word-of-mouth-of-mouth-of-mouth" ("WOMOMOM").
What does this mean for online search? It means that Facebook can use the similarities of people in extended networks to predict the search results that those people will most prefer.
The end result? You may be happier with your search results because they match your "profile" as determined by your friends' (and friends of friends') preferences.
But in the end, will your limited choice sets also limit your potential to find "less popular" options? It probably will. And here we thought you didn't want to wear the same dress/tie/hat as everyone else at the party.
Be sensible.
Anthony
E-Marketing for Sensible Folk (@sensiblefolk on Twitter)