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Amazon Pursues Plogging Patent
theodp writes "When it unveiled a beta of Plogs (personalized blogs), a nonpublication request Amazon had in effect prevented the USPTO from disclosing that Plogs were patent-pending. But now you can check out Amazon's patent application for the Personalized selection and display of user-supplied content to enhance browsing of electronic catalogs, which describes how 'blurbs' can be made available in a blog format for viewing by others."
I already give people things based on there history.
e.g. When I'm down the pub I know what beers my friends drink, and if they are drinking something different tonight.
I also know what new papers many friends read and what they are interested in taking about.
How can anyone be granted a patent for this (or even consider putting one forward)
Lets, use the word gossip instead of blurbs.
An electronic catalog system provides an interface for users to author and post pieces of content, referred to as gossip The gossip submitted by a particular author are made available for viewing in an any format you like.
gossip may also be obtained from external sources, such as the post man, or a news paper.
A personalized gossip selection component selects gossip to present to users based on histories of catalog items selected by such users, and/or based on various other criteria.
We call this the postman.
The gossip selected for a particular user are presented within a personal log or "plog," which may be updated daily and will typically contain entries from many different authors.
We call this the bartender.
User feedback provided on specific gossip is taken into consideration by the personalized gossip selection algorithms.
We call this the mothers meeting.
Looks like Amazon is patenting the wheel.
thank God the internet isn't a human right.