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Unsuggester: Finding the Book You'll Never Want

Posted by Hemos on from the you-will-enjoy-l'amour-and-sartre dept.

Selanit writes "Lots of socially-oriented sites provide suggestions for things you might like based on user-provided data. But how many can claim to offer you things you'll probably hate? LibraryThing, the social book-cataloging site, has used its database of personal libraries to create UnSuggester, which does exactly that. You type in a book you like, "It analyzes the seven million books LibraryThing members have recorded as owned or read, and comes back with books least likely to share a library with the book you suggest." For example, apparently readers of Edward Said's "Orientalism" rarely purchase "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine. Who'd have thought? Quirky though it may be, the tool seems an interesting way to broaden your horizons. If you're a hidebound, crufty old fogey, I un-recommend it!"

4 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. 'Tis the Season by wiz31337 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just in time for the holiday shopping season!!! Revenge for all the ugly shirts, sweaters and every other "squishy' gift. [Evil laugh]

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    /whisper/ Thanks for the candy!
  2. I made that once. by KDR_11k · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was a static HTML page containing the bibliography of Dan Brown.

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    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  3. I'm not so sure about that... by KDR_11k · · Score: 5, Funny

    It kept recommending the Bible.

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    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  4. Re:I'm unique! by Apraxhren · · Score: 5, Funny

    Untie her and open the closet and THEN see what happens.