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Tracking the Congressional Attention Span

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hot-button-issues dept.

Turismo writes "Ars Technica covers a new research project that uses computers to look at 70 million words from the Congressional Record. The project's goal was to track what our representatives were talking about at any given time, and researchers were able to do it without human training or intervention. From the article: '...researchers found, for instance, that "judicial nominations" have consumed steadily more Congressional attention between 1997 and 2004. In fact, the topic produced the most number of words published in a single "day" of the Congressional Record: 230,000 on November 12, 2003.' It looks like automated topic analysis has truly arrived."

11 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Or Maybe Not.. by vjmurphy · · Score: 5, Funny

    "It looks like automated topic analysis has truly arrived."

    Not according to my in-depth research. Looks like "automated topic analysis" isn't arriving at all.

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22automated+ topic+analysis%22&btnG=Google+Search

    --
    Vincent J. Murphy
    Spandex Justice
  2. Opposite Side by BigNumber · · Score: 4, Funny

    So what scored the lowest? Individual freedoms? Constitutional Rights? Fair use?

  3. INSOLENCE!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The project's goal was to track what our representatives were talking about at any given time...

    Isn't that like "Big Brother"'ing your goverment?

    I hate citizens with double morals. Leave those fine representatives alone and let them represent!

  4. Tracking the Congressional Attention Span by DrLang21 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The conclusion. Congress has ADD, just like me.

    --
    I see the glass as full with a FoS of 2.
    1. Re:Tracking the Congressional Attention Span by Roody+Blashes · · Score: 2, Funny

      Suffer from a crippling neurolgical disorder that makes you incapable of focusing long enough to make an informed decision, become a congressperson.

      Spend the first forty years of your life a drunken, aimless slob with no business acumen and bad manners, become president.

      I think I'm beginning to see some cracks in the stout facade of democracy here....

      --
      If you haven't foed me yet, what are you waiting for?
    2. Re:Tracking the Congressional Attention Span by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      You'd think the American public would wake up and... OH Chappelle's show is on!

  5. sophistication, ha? by mapkinase · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does it take really a sophisticated tool to count the number of times "judicial" and "nominations" appearing in the same sentence?

    May be the submitter forgot to cite a little bit more impressive examples?

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
  6. They're asking the wrong question by MarkusQ · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great. Now we know what congress has been talking about.

    Big deal.

    Wake me up when you can tell me what in the hell they were thinking.

    --MarkusQ

    P.S. Other than how to make sure that they--and Joe Lieberman--get re-elected I mean.

  7. Re:Dupe? Double Dupe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    If the previous was a dupe story, presumably this is a tripe story. But look on the bright side - at least Slashdot is maintaining its standards.

  8. Re:I'm not sure this is the best metric... by OzPeter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Man I am impressed, I thought the US was done with its colonial masters, but here you are saying that congress wants to play Cricket instead of voting on a bill. Bring it on .. but be warned, no-one the US could field will ever match the Don.

    --
    I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
  9. Does it track... by SlowEmotionReplay · · Score: 2, Funny

    which orifice they were talking out of?