Google trying to patent news ranking by quality

[northstar]

~snip~

Web search leader Google Inc. has applied for U.S. and international patents on technology to rank stories on its news site based on the quality of the news source, according to patent applications obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

Google filed its U.S. patent application in September 2003 and it is in line for review by patent examiners. It covers "systems and methods for improving the ranking of news articles" based on the "quality" of the news source.

According to that patent application, factors determining such rankings would include: the amount of important coverage produced by an identified news source; a human opinion of that source; network traffic to the source; circulation statistics; staff size; breadth of coverage; and the number of bureaus the news source operates.

Online news has become an increasingly competitive market as newspaper circulation declines and mainstream news organizations look for ways to hold on to readers, many of whom favor sites that gather stories from many sources over those run by a single news outlet.

~snip~

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050505/wr_nm/tech_google_patent_dc_3&printer=1

[aquart]

1. Define "quality."

[CarefullyLiberal]

3. Reply

I guess you couldn't take the time to read the quoted article.

From the Yahoo! article, "According to that patent application, factors determining such rankings would include: the amount of important coverage produced by an identified news source; a human opinion of that source; network traffic to the source; circulation statistics; staff size; breadth of coverage; and the number of bureaus the news source operates."

The poster was kind enough to create a link that will take you to the news article that very nicely answers your question.

Click and learn, click and learn.

Regards.

[3waygeek]

4. It's what you won't find

in the MSM.

[matt819]

2. Something about this troubles me

Google has already demonstrated that it has ulterior motives. Granted, that motive is the profit motive, which in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, when that motive governs search engine rankings, then it begins to be a problem.

As a nation, for the past four+ years we have long been on the slippery slope to the bottom. Intellectual acumen and thought is no longer believed by roughly half of Americans to have any value. Belief, faith. These are what matters. And when like-minded believers tell these sad people what to think, what to believe, what to read, then is it any wonder you have situation such as that which is going on with PBS. But I digress. This Google plan (provided it's not some sort of spoof -- these days you never know) falls right into the hands of the true believers. Watch out.