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Computer Algorithms As Persuasive Agents: the Rhetoricity of Algorithmic Surveillance Within the Built Ecological Network

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Computer Algorithms As Persuasive Agents: the Rhetoricity of Algorithmic Surveillance Within the Built Ecological Network COMPUTER ALGORITHMS AS PERSUASIVE AGENTS: THE RHETORICITY OF ALGORITHMIC SURVEILLANCE WITHIN THE BUILT ECOLOGICAL NETWORK Estee N. Beck A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2015 Committee: Kristine Blair, Advisor Patrick Pauken, Graduate Faculty Representative Sue Carter Wood Lee Nickoson © 2015 Estee N. Beck All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Kristine Blair, Advisor Each time our students and colleagues participate online, they face invisible tracking technologies that harvest metadata for web customization, targeted advertising, and even state surveillance activities. This practice may be of concern for computers and writing and digital humanities specialists, who examine the ideological forces in computer-mediated writing spaces to address power inequality, as well as the role ideology plays in shaping human consciousness. However, the materiality of technology—the non-human objects that surrounds us—is of concern to those within rhetoric and composition as well. This project shifts attention to the materiality of non-human objects, specifically computer algorithms and computer code. I argue that these technologies are powerful non-human objects that have rhetorical agency and persuasive abilities, and as a result shape the everyday practices and behaviors of writers/composers on the web as well as other non-human objects. Through rhetorical inquiry, I examine literature from rhetoric and composition, surveillance studies, media and software studies, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy. I offer a “built ecological network” theory that is the manufactured and natural rhetorical rhizomatic network full of spatial, material, social, linguistic, and dynamic energy layers that enter into reflexive and reciprocal relations to support my claim that computer algorithms have agency and persuasive abilities. I also address how computer code figures in digital surveillance environments on the web, as well as how to refigure digital rhetoric and literate practices through the built ecological network. My results help shift attention to the role rhetoric plays in materiality, and further implicates rhetoric as both under the realm of human and material activity. iv For the path taken. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was supported by both a non-service fellowship and graduate student assistantship within the Department of English at Bowling Green State University. I gratefully acknowledge the financial and administrative support offered by the Rhetoric & Writing Program, the Department of English, Graduate College, and university. My role as a graduate assistant and fellow allowed me to thrive during the period of researching and writing this project. More importantly, my dissertation advisor, Dr. Kristine Blair, generously provided time, support, and advice during this process. Kris helped me to hone my argument and writing voice through chapter drafts with her extraordinary ability to provide timely and supportive direction, feedback, and insight. I am deeply indebted to Kris for mentorship during my graduate studies and through this project. Her examples of kindness, feminist ethic of care, and strong work ethic are ones that I will strive to model in my career. Committee members Dr. Sue Carter Wood and Dr. Lee Nickoson were generous with their time and feedback on this project as well. Sue helped me think through intersections of algorithmic surveillance with historical discussions of rhetoric, and Lee (as always) offered engaged commentary to help encourage me throughout the writing of this work. Outside committee member, Dr. Patrick Pauken additionally offered commentary that helped shape the direction of this project. My peer colleagues in the Rhetoric & Writing program supported me during the research and writing process, and I am especially indebted to the following people: Laural Adams, Megan Adams, Nicholaus Baca, Matthew Bridgewater, Shirley Faulkner-Springfield, Mariana Grohowski, Aimee Taylor, and Heather Trahan—all of whom provided either (or both) sustained vi collegiality, friendship or a pivotal relation which led to productive changes of my beliefs or values professionally and personally. I am grateful for my Grammish, Betty Thompson, for her unconditional love, support, saucy and sage advice, and financial and emotional support over my lifetime. I am also grateful for the support and encouragement from John Thompson, Renee and Eddie Miller, Tonya Thompson, Janice and Phil McNelis, Jean and Bill Spoeri, and Kay Alderson—all of whom have, at some point or another, encouraged me to continue with my education, and I thank you for such support. To my spiritual and life friend, Revered Dr. Trevor Gates-Crandall, I have been (and remain so) deeply indebted to your practical wisdom and constant encouragement to continue with my studies, especially during times while I lived in Virginia and Illinois. Your example and support has helped sustain my intellectual pursuits over the years. * Manuscript notation: The BGSU Graduate College (“Graduate College”) “Thesis and Dissertation Handbook” (“Handbook”) (n.d.) recommends students to select a style manual for the style of the thesis or dissertation. Additionally, the Graduate College Handbook explicitly states: The thesis or dissertation must conform strictly to the specifications of this Handbook and the style manual selected. In instances where the Handbook and the style manual differ, follow the Handbook regarding matters of form (required preliminary pages, margins, etc.) and the style manual regarding matters of style (grammar, table formatting, bibliography/notes, etc.) (n.d., p. 5) vii As this dissertation emerges from a set of political, social, and cultural practices and historical decisions made within the sub-discipline of Computers & Writing, this dissertation conforms to matters of style from two style manuals. First, for all matters of grammar, table formatting, and notes this dissertation follows APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines. Second, for matters of bibliographic reference, this dissertation follows the Computers & Composition: An International Journal Style Manual (“C&C Style Manual”). Since APA guidelines represent author’s first names as first initials, the C&C Style Manual espouses a feminist positionality and practice of representing the full author’s first name in bibliographic entries to illustrate the intellectual contributions women, men, trans-identified, and gender-neutral people make in research. This dissertation honors this political stance in the bibliographic entries. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: CONTEMPORARY HISTORIES OF TECHNOLOGICAL RHETORICS, ALGORITHMS, AND SURVEILLANCE ....................................................... 1 Rhetoric & Writing | Computers & Writing ....................................................................... 7 Tracking Technologies ...................................................................................................... 11 Surveillance Culture in the Internet of Things .................................................................. 14 Edward Snowden and the NSA......................................................................................... 16 Algorithmic Ideology ........................................................................................................ 18 Algorithmic processes. .......................................................................................... 20 Algorithmic inclusion/exclusion. .......................................................................... 22 Algorithmic ideology. ........................................................................................... 23 Surveillance Studies .......................................................................................................... 25 A Note on Rhetorical Theory and Inquiry ........................................................................ 30 CHAPTER TWO: THE BUILT ECOLOGICAL NETWORK: WHAT MATERIALITY AND ECOLOGY MEANS FOR RHETORIC AND WRITING STUDIES ......................... 34 Theories Circulating within Writing Studies .................................................................... 36 Built Ecological Network ................................................................................................. 41 Shaping people’s morals with the City Beautiful movement. .............................. 41 A Primer to Network(s) Theory: An Object-Oriented Strand .......................................... 44 ix Reciprocal and Reflexive Relations in the Network ......................................................... 50 Rhetorical rhizome. ............................................................................................... 53 Ecology. ................................................................................................................ 55 Energy Layers ................................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER THREE: PERSUASIVE COMPUTER ALGORITHMS: A CASE STUDY OF GOOGLE’S PAGERANK ALGORITHM AND THE DYNAMIC WEIGHTED ALGORITHM ............................................................................................................................. 64 Persuasive Computer Algorithms ..................................................................................... 66 The Broader Picture of Algorithms and Data Analytics ..................................................
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