Seems something Yahoo would go for ?
Doesn't Yahoo already do this ?
"The USPTO published yesterday a patent awarded to Google that provides clues to Google's plans for social search, including details about how Google will use human editors to help facilitate algorithmic search.
The patent, system and method for supporting editorial opinion in the ranking of search results, describes processes whereby Google can better judge user search intent based upon whether the query matches a "theme" of queries on Google's servers.
Those "themes" include topics commonly occurring in search queries from users in Google's network. According to the patent, editors will develop these query themes by looking at search query logs and developing categories of information."
"What's most interesting to me about this patent, though, is that Krishna Bharat, inventor of Google News, is listed as one of the inventors. Google said recently that it was making some changes to Google News. And, I've mentioned before that I think Google could learn a lot from other news aggregators out there. Perhaps it's about to apply social search algos to news? "
http://ibmwatch.eweek.com/blogs/google_watch/archive/2006/08/23/12648.aspx |
I'll repost my comment from Digg:
The patent was filed in 2000 and doesn't have too many connections with social search.
Some quotes (maybe someone should READ the patent before posting):
"In a first way, the editors may construct a rule for each query theme to decide if a future search query belongs to the theme. For the query theme "sites that provide free software downloads," the rule may be the requirement that the query contain the word "free" and "download." For the query theme "sites that help in finding an accommodation," the rule may be the requirement that the query contain one of the words: {"accommodation," "lodging," "hotels," . . . } and also that the query contains the name of a place (e.g., by matching one of a list of place names).
In an implementation consistent with the present invention, the rule may be represented as a boolean expression. For example, a rule for sites that provide free software downloads may be ("free" AND "download"). A rule for sites that help in finding an accommodation may be
(("accommodation" OR "lodging" OR "hotels" OR "motels")
AND
("Alabama" OR "Alaska" OR . . . "Wyoming")).
In a second way, the editors may establish categories/topics from a directory that may be compared to the search query to determine if the query satisfies a particular query theme. For example, a set of topics could be the topics in an online hierarchical directory (e.g., a Web Directory), such as Open Directory, Yahoo!, or Google (www.google.com)." |
....but for queries, not for sites.
This doesn't have anything to do with Digg. |
Hmm I'm completely lost. Dummy it down will you please. |
We have a list of sites and a list of rules.
List1: blogs about Google
List2: search engines
....................................
Listn: ...........................
Rule1: ((blog OR opinion) And Google) OR blogoscoped
Rule2: (search OR find) AND (engine OR site)
If a query is "blog Google", we select a site from List1 that can contain Google Blog, Blogoscoped etc... |
The query "blog Google" satisfies the Rule 1. So is "blogoscoped".
The patent says they take the sites from DMOZ or other directories and create the rules using editors (or algorithmically). |
Oh I get it now. Thanks Alex. |
