11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS
Complexity and Social Action: Interaction and Multiple Systems
2nd to 6th of July, Algarve University in Faro (Portugal)
1. 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS
2nd to 6th of July, Algarve University in Faro (Portugal)
SOCIAL ACTIONS, UNCERTAINTY AND BIG DATA
Fabio [.] Giglietto [@uniurb.it]
Deparment of Communication Studies| LaRiCA | Università di Urbino Carlo Bo
2. Summary
• Structure of time in psychic and social
systems;
• Memory and double contingency;
• What is Big Data?;
• Big Data and the resolution of our memory;
• The quantified self;
• Expectations and goal achievements;
• Conclusions & future works.
3. Structure of time
in psychic and social systems
PAST FUTURE
set of constrains possible futures
4. Memory and double contingency
SYSTEM A SYSTEM B
COMMUNICATION
EXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONS
PAST FUTURE PAST FUTURE
set of constrains possible futures set of constrains possible futures
DOUBLE CONTINGENCY
5. The stock market example
PAST FUTURE
set of constrains possible futures
SYSTEM A
EXPECTATIONS
PAST FUTURE
set of constrains possible futures
PAST FUTURE
set of constrains possible futures
6. What is Big Data?
“When I go to a restaurant, and look at leftovers
on my plate, I don't see food, I see information.
If the restaurant were Google, they wouldn't just
take that plate and scrape it off into the trash.
There would be a camera in the
kitchen, photographing every plate coming
back, with analysis of what people liked and
disliked, and what portions were too
big, helping to optimize future servings“ (Jon Orwant
– Engineering Manager at Google)
9. Expectations and goals achievement
set of constrains possible futures
PAST FUTURE
GOAL SET
HD MEMORY
EXPECTATIONS
PEER SUPPORT
GOAL
10. Conclusions & future works
• Profile on SNSs are already affecting the
structure of expectations;
• Understanding the long term consequences of
HD form of memory on psychic and social
systems;
• HD memory as generalized symbolic media of
communication?
Editor's Notes
Past, present and future are, in fact, the main structural elements of time and both psychic and social systems embrace this structure to shape their decision making. However, as pointed out by NiklasLuhmann, the structure of time hides a paradox. We cannot, in fact, directly experience neither the past, nor the future or the present. The past is, by definition, already gone, the future is not yet there and the present vanishes at the same time we think about it. Although essentially paradoxical, this structure of time is the way systems orient themselves. Systems could not directly experience past, future or present but they indeed use this concepts in their everyday life.
The past is a collection of constrains that limits the possible futures. Even if the past could not be changed its memory keeps constantly changing present after present. As the future becomes past, both the actualized choice, the expectations and the possibilities left behind becomes part of the collection of future constrains. The uncertainty that characterize the future as horizon of open possibilities is further complicated by social expectations. In other terms the system with its past, present, future and expectations must deal with the fact that other systems with their respective past, present, future and expectations will act following the very same structure of time. Sometimes, as in the stock market, the future results of our present actions are inextricably related with someone else choice that is not possible to know in advance.