I'm supposed to like the same food as my friends and relatives? That's absurd. My father loves olives, I hate them. My brother hates spicy food, I love it. My mother hates cheese and milk, I like them just fine. My extended family is all meat and potatos, I'll eat food from anywhere in the world.
The things that connect me to these people just has nothing whatsoever to do with the things that I search for. I'm having a hard time thinking of any topic on which my friends and relatives can make better recommendations than the entire internet just by virtue of knowing me. The only time I would want to constrain a search to my social network is when I'm researching my social network itself.
I'm not surprised that people like the idea of social search. It sounds pleasant enough. But I have yet to see any useful example of it, or even hear a hypothetical one.
You're getting a little personal with the recipe example, I am sure there are people out there who like to cook and have family members who like to cook the same things. Crazy I know.
I suppose you could have no shared interests and opinions with anyone you know. Then I am afraid social recommendation, whether it is verbal or as part of a Google search, isn't for you.
I shall say it again for you, there are many questions where there are no wrong answers for which adding a social context will be a benefit, especially if you are someone who is in contact with people who have opinions you care about.
The things that connect me to these people just has nothing whatsoever to do with the things that I search for. I'm having a hard time thinking of any topic on which my friends and relatives can make better recommendations than the entire internet just by virtue of knowing me. The only time I would want to constrain a search to my social network is when I'm researching my social network itself.
I'm not surprised that people like the idea of social search. It sounds pleasant enough. But I have yet to see any useful example of it, or even hear a hypothetical one.