Librarianship in the Digital World

1. Librarianship in the Digital World Challenges, Threats and Opportunities Greg Turko – November 30, 2018

2. Agenda • FANG Sector • Setting Context • Digital Information Enterprise • Value Proposition • Information Stewardship • Outsourcing Information Stewardship • Algorithms • Printed Word • Too Big to Fail • Summary

3. Disclaimer • Not a “why oh why” lament • Looking forward critically • Not looking backward nostalgically • Sustainability focus • The “bigness risk” • Seeking librarianship perspective • Observations and questions

4. FANG Sector • Term coined and used by Will Self and others • Reference to • F – Facebook • A – Amazon • N – Netflix • G – Google • FANG enterprises largely define, control and direct current digital universe • Unique monopoly situation • Most monopolies occur by consolidation • Consolidation phase missing • Some peripheral acquisition occurring

5. Setting Context Sizing up the digital universe

6. Search Engine Market Share – September 2018 http://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share

7. Internet Users by Region • Total: 2.405 billion / 7.017 billion – 34.27% of the population • Africa: 0.167 billion / 1.073 billion – 15.56% of the population • Asia: 1.076 billion / 3.922 billion – 27.43% of the population • Europe: 0.519 billion / 0.821 billion – 63.22% of the population • Middle East: 0.090 billion / 0.224 billion – 40.18% of the population • North America 0.274 billion / 0.348 billion – 78.74% of the population • Latin America / Caribbean: 0.255 billion / 0.594 billion – 42.93% of the population • Oceania / Australia: 0.024 billion / 0.036 billion – 66.67% of the population • Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

8. Servers • OVH: 120,000 servers (April 2012) • Akamai: 105,000 servers (March 2012) • SoftLayer: 100,000 servers (December 2011) • Rackspace: 79,005 servers (Dec 30, 2011) • Intel: 75,000 (August 2011) • 1&1 Internet: 70,000+ servers (February 2010) • Facebook: 60,000 servers (October 2009) • LeaseWeb: 36,000 servers (February 2011) • Intergenai (PlusServer/Server4You): 30,000 (2011) • SBC Communications: 29,193 servers • Verizon: 25,788 servers • Time Warner Cable: 24,817 servers • HostEurope: 24,000 servers • AT&T: 20,286 servers • Google: 900,000 • Microsoft: 218,000 • Yahoo: 100,000+

9. Internet Statistics • Each second: • 6000 tweets • 40,000 Google queries • 2 million emails • 2016 • 4.66 billion web pages • YouTube • 300 hours of video uploaded each minute • 5 billion videos watched each day

10. Digital Information Enterprise Heavy on enterprise light on information

11. Value Proposition • FANG sector revenue generated by • Placement not results - estimated 74% of digital ads never seen by human eye • Traffic not always dependent on content quality • Massive amount of user generated free content • Limited quality control • Make your own reality • Echo chamber • Information volume precludes informed decision making • Problem exacerbated by information dubious quality and deliberate misinformation

12. Traditional Distribution Model

13. Digital Distribution Model

14. Information Stewardship • Google and Facebook monopolize search and information holdings • Own various platforms thereby extending reach • Digital information enterprise dependent on these entities with • Murky business models • Opaque – at best – technology practices • Little commitment to formal and disciplined information stewardship • Self identify as platforms not publishers or information stewards • Business model and investor value proposition – again – based on user traffic and demographic information; “grazing” ideal; click bait • Information a liability not an asset • User information – not “traditional information” – monetized

15. Information Stewardship Outsourced to Reluctant Entities • Cost of free • Digital monopolies have captured – or perhaps devalued – information • Free comes at a significant cost • Risky dependence on monopolies • Digital monopolies now • Undertaking and are being asked to undertake activities such as censorship and content monitoring • Facebook, for example, vetting election postings • Determining access (e.g., China; banning users) • At odds with revenue model

16. Algorithms • Algorithms imbued with mythical status • Digital Fairy Dust or Philosophers Stone • Algorithm creators work in relative obscurity • No formal standards • Algorithms can produce whatever results • Virtually no oversight, transparency or accountability in many instances • Abuse well documented – Google, Facebook … • Abuse or mistakes documented in areas as diverse as crime statistics; insurance rates and credit scores • Stifles innovation • FANG role in AI exacerbates concerns

17. Printed Word Future • Growing concern about printed word future • Will Self and others • Studies show reading digital content changes human perceptions • Shorter attention span • Less empathy – troll phenomena • YouTube based reality

18. Too Big to Fail or “Move On” • What happens if • [Say] Google leaves search business • Google adopts subscription model • Post FANG era – what will it look like

19. Summary • Historical knowledge transition point – not a new phenomenon • Historical transition point controlled by commercial interests – a new phenomenon • Monopolies bring risks – knowledge monopolies bring the Dark Ages • Your thoughts