Comments on: Thoughts about a news algorithm http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/ About Art, Media and Technology and the future of it Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:59:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Blogroll » Automatically generated profiles? http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-186274 Blogroll » Automatically generated profiles? Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:43:38 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-186274 [...] will do the same for your friends, since news is part of a social experience. We are adding groups as well. If you have online friends using the website, you and your group of [...] [...] will do the same for your friends, since news is part of a social experience. We are adding groups as well. If you have online friends using the website, you and your group of [...]

]]> By: Automatically generated profiles? on hypernarrative.com, a weblog by Wilbert Baan about Art, Media and Technology http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-172574 Automatically generated profiles? on hypernarrative.com, a weblog by Wilbert Baan about Art, Media and Technology Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:54:34 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-172574 [...] will do the same for your friends, since news is part of a social experience. We are adding groups as well. If you have online friends using the website, you and your group of [...] [...] will do the same for your friends, since news is part of a social experience. We are adding groups as well. If you have online friends using the website, you and your group of [...]

]]> By: Wilbert http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-140350 Wilbert Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:51:49 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-140350 @Alex, thanks for the overview, nice link. @Alex, thanks for the overview, nice link.

]]> By: Wilbert http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-140348 Wilbert Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:41:09 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-140348 @Inge True, a human (editor, friends) selection is special and I don't know if it can ever be replaced. I don't think we only want relevant news, but more relevant might be something that could be interesting for news websites. People read local newspapers or newspaper sections (sports, art) because it is more relevant. The 'stumble upon' articles you are referring to are probably the extra and unique stories the newspaper writes about. This works great on paper, but would you also read these articles on the web? Where you allow yourself less time to discover it? For an online news service that only focus on 'the now', like Google News. Personal relevance might be something that makes it more valuable. What I wonder about is what are the things that construct a good news experience? - Being surprised is definitely an important one. @Inge True, a human (editor, friends) selection is special and I don’t know if it can ever be replaced. I don’t think we only want relevant news, but more relevant might be something that could be interesting for news websites. People read local newspapers or newspaper sections (sports, art) because it is more relevant.

The ’stumble upon’ articles you are referring to are probably the extra and unique stories the newspaper writes about. This works great on paper, but would you also read these articles on the web? Where you allow yourself less time to discover it?

For an online news service that only focus on ‘the now’, like Google News. Personal relevance might be something that makes it more valuable.

What I wonder about is what are the things that construct a good news experience?

- Being surprised is definitely an important one.

]]> By: Alexis Brion http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-140347 Alexis Brion Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:40:25 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-140347 Hi Wilbert, I like your article a lot. It's interesting to me because I've recently written a similar one but with a more "web design" point of view. Amazon algorithm is great, right? If you want to have a look at my article you can get it here: http://www.designvsart.com/blog/2008/04/10/should-a-website-design-show-its-precious-algorithm/ Alex Hi Wilbert, I like your article a lot. It’s interesting to me because I’ve recently written a similar one but with a more “web design” point of view. Amazon algorithm is great, right?

If you want to have a look at my article you can get it here:

http://www.designvsart.com/blog/2008/04/10/should-a-website-design-show-its-precious-algorithm/

Alex

]]> By: Inge http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/2008/04/11/thoughts-about-a-news-algorithm/#comment-140342 Inge Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:24:30 +0000 http://www.hypernarrative.com/wordpress/?p=899#comment-140342 I think Google News does the basics of this already in their personalized news section (suggested reading for [account name]). I'm not certain how many parameters they include, but I assume only click throughs while being on their site. As much as like the idea (more relevant news, less skimming), I also resent the proposal to only show me news that I might like. I just started reading a news paper, and it amazes me how much I like all the stories that I normally would never click on (and that also don't match a pattern of related news that I read). I don't think any system for proposing news can substitute for that experience of stumbling into something genuinely new and unexpected. Another example: last.fm tells you about a great deal of new artists that perfectly match your listening profile. However, since I don't listen to, let's say, dixieland (or anything related), I will never get the opportunity to learn about it (unless I start searching for it myself). Hence, the last bullet you mention (surprises) seems as a dramatically important one for me. I think Google News does the basics of this already in their personalized news section (suggested reading for [account name]). I’m not certain how many parameters they include, but I assume only click throughs while being on their site.

As much as like the idea (more relevant news, less skimming), I also resent the proposal to only show me news that I might like. I just started reading a news paper, and it amazes me how much I like all the stories that I normally would never click on (and that also don’t match a pattern of related news that I read). I don’t think any system for proposing news can substitute for that experience of stumbling into something genuinely new and unexpected.

Another example: last.fm tells you about a great deal of new artists that perfectly match your listening profile. However, since I don’t listen to, let’s say, dixieland (or anything related), I will never get the opportunity to learn about it (unless I start searching for it myself). Hence, the last bullet you mention (surprises) seems as a dramatically important one for me.

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