Surprisingly, the YouTube recommendation algorithm doesn’t draw inputs from far beyond the confines of YouTube itself. You might think that mining our Google search histories for clues about what videos we’d like would pay off. Nope, Goodrow says.

“The challenge is that web search history is very very broad.” Just because you Googled for help with your taxes does’t mean you want to watch YouTube videos about the ins and outs of U.S. tax law.

– To Take on HBO and Netflix, YouTube had to Rewire Itself, Fast Company

Not surprising at all actually. Just because everything on the internet can  be connected doesn’t mean it has to be connected. When the internet is your world, zooming in on contexts and measuring behaviors in those contexts becomes paramount.