Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Web Log 'Word Bursts' Could Identify New Crazes

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bursting-at-the-seams dept.

Zorgatron writes "New Scientist reports that a researcher from Cornell University has come up with clever method of identifying what's cool by automatically searching weblogs. Sudden increases or "bursts" in the usage of particular words may reflect a new craze, according to Jon Kleinberg. He has demonstrated the technique by searching through state of the union addresses given since 1790." I wonder how long before this can be done real time enough to really make this useful.

1 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. CmdrTaco, please read and respond to this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I know you love to mod me down when I criticise you, but honestly, you have to admit that making your paying subscribers do all your fact-checking, dupe-checking and link-checking for you is a profoundly stupid idea.

    Why don't you listen to people who criticise you and Slashdot? Predators improve the breed; your trolls are telling you something, but you censor them instead of taking heed.

    Now your precious site is munge of censor-based moderation, abusive editors, hypocrisy, and closed-mindedness.

    Examples? Sure.

    1) censorship - don't insult us by implying the moderation system as currently implemented doesn't censor. Your bitchslap script and heavy-handed unlimited-mod-point editors are just as bad as a censor.

    2) abusive editors - look at my journal, or Cetan's, or FortKnox's. It's there in plain sight.

    3) hypocrisy - you rail against the MPAA and RIAA and still get all wet over movies and new music. Your cries to bring down these organizations ring hollow as you stuff their pockets with more money.

    Also, this place is a haven for environmentalists, yet you all consume plastic and silicon as if it were environmentally benign to produce.

    4) closed-mindedness - posts pointing out flaws or shortcomings of Lunix or Apple are modded down. Any anti-microsoft post (no matter how lame or re-hashed) is modded up. The fact that your editorial staff is massively biased and unfair makes slashdot the home for an ever-narrowing viewpoint. In a few years, you'll be so narrow you'll cease to have any importance at all.

    You could fix these things, CmdrTaco, if you'd just listen to your dissenters instead of moderating them into oblivion.

    But you're afraid to, I guess.

    Also, please fire michael. He's a git and his wise-cracks will get you in trouble (i.e. Libel) some day.

    MondoMor