Task 9: 

Network Assignment

Overall Results

The above graph generated in Pallido (Palladio, n.d.) was based on the Golden Record Curation data generated by our ETEC 540 section. Presenting the data in this way allowed for easier visualization of the track selections. The scaled size of the various nodes, based on the number of edges or connections, made the most selected tracks more visible. In examining the graph, I found it interesting that:

• • All tracks were chosen by at least two people
  • I had at least one common track selection with all of my classmates
  • I didn’t select any of the three most highly selected tracks:
    1. (15/20) – Track 7: Johnny B. Goode
    2. (13/20) – Track 9: Tsuru No Sugomo
    3. (12/20) – Track 1: Brandenburg Concerto First Movement
  • Three classmates did not make the specified 10 track selections

Community 0

I was grouped into community 0 with Jon and Patrick. Initially, I found it difficult to determine the reasoning behind this grouping. Jon and I chose 5 of the same tracks, whereas Patrick and I only chose 2 similar tracks (which were also chosen by Jon). When viewing a graph of the tracks I selected, it is clear that I had a more significant number of similarly chosen tracks with classmates other than Patrick. For example, I chose 5 of the same tracks as Tristian, Yinwen, Evan and Rico.

It seemed as if Jon was the link holding our community together. I assume that there were stronger connections and similar choices in the other communities, so I created a quick graph to represent the total number of tracks selected and the number of members who chose specific tracks for each community:

This chart made it easier for me to see how the communities were developed. I may have chosen more similar tracks with classmates other than Patrick, but those classmates may have had stronger connections and more edges with the other individuals in their community.

I can see why Jon and I were paired in the same community. We had 5 tracks in common, and for one of the tracks selected, “Pygmy Girls Initiation,” we were the only individuals to make that selection. After visiting Jon’s webspace (https://blogs.ubc.ca/jondowswell/2025/03/02/task-8-golden-record-curation-assignment/) and reading about his selection process, it was evident that he and I had a similar approach. Jon separated the tracks into eight regions and selected one track from each region while focusing on cultural diversity, tradition, and instrumentalization (Dowswell, 2025). Similarly, I chose to separate the tracks by country and then continent, selecting a track from each continent.

Jon also clarified in his Task 8 post why only 8 of the required 10 tracks had been chosen. He included two new tracks, one that “should” have been included from when the Golden Record was created (1977) and another more modern Track. If I had relied solely on the data, I would not have known why Jon didn’t select 2 tracks and may have assumed it was a user or tech error.

I was unable to determine Patrick’s selection process when reviewing his webspace. In this case, it was clear what the data could not convey. Did Patrick have a similar approach to Jon and I that resulted in all of us ending up in a similar community, but Patrick and I ultimately selecting different tracks? I can only make assumptions and guesses based on the songs he chose.

Interpretation

What does it all mean? What purpose could these communities serve? The track selections were based on a limited selection and don’t necessarily reflect individual musical preferences or global outlook. The choices may have been made based on a particular mood that was passing or influenced by the company we kept that day. None of these nuances are reflected in the data and, therefore, are not reflected in the developed communities.

Algorithms and connections are increasingly used to curate our online experiences (browsing, shopping, searching, news).

“Users like us are, after all, also nodes in the network, and our interests, behaviours, and activities change the relations within the network constantly. Every time you click on a link on one page, you add weight or strengthen the relationship between the two nodes. Algorithms then take those weights to infer what your preferences are.”
([9.1] What Is the Web and What Is Not: ETEC_V 540 65A 2024W2 Text Technologies: The Changing Spaces Of Reading and Writing, n.d.)

While this is convenient, you can see the potential risk of a) missing other perspectives and information that differs from your own and, on the other hand, b) being inundated with information that doesn’t appeal to you based on incorrect assumptions.

References

[8.1] Why Digitize? Digitize what?: ETEC_V 540 65A 2024W2 Text Technologies: The Changing Spaces of Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4th, 2025, from https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/151736/pages/8-dot-1-why-digitize-digitize-what?module_item_id=7553231

Dowswell, J. (2025, March 2). Task 8: Golden Record Curation Assignment – WriteNow. https://blogs.ubc.ca/jondowswell/2025/03/02/task-8-golden-record-curation-assignment/