Finding the value of values

In this commentary on The dark side of public values in algorithmic systems written by David Moats, Minna Ruckenstein, Dorthe Brogård Kristensen, Maria Eidenskog, Elisa Elhadj, Tuukka Lehtiniemi, Perle Møhl, Ajda Pretnar Žagar, Maiju Tanninen and Julia Velkova, I suggest two ways to expand the discussion on value disconnects: First, I argue that the problem of value specification is bigger than public values. The slipperiness the authors identify extends across many categories of values and even individual value terms, which calls for moving beyond a focus on public values to understand the bigger picture. Second, I discuss different methodological approaches to study specifications of values to demonstrate the need to go beyond ethnography to address the processual nature of values in breadth and depth. To find the value of values, research needs to draw lines between everyday practices, policy discussions, imaginaries guiding the digital future, and the spaces in between.