Attorney Sues Website Over His Online Rating

An anonymous reader writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that a local attorney is suing legal startup Avvo over a rating that was algorithmically assigned. The story covers the controversy of computers grading humans. 'Browne, who has participated in a number of high-profile cases in the state, including the defense of arsonist Martin Pang, said in an interview that Avvo is being irresponsible with the ratings and called them a fraud. And he questioned why Supreme Court justices and prominent lawyers score so low. Three other attorneys interviewed by the P-I also expressed doubts about the rating system, while News.com reported that the site "seemed to be riddled with bizarre errors."' Such practices are not new: the New York Times earlier this year reported on Google using algorithms to determine applicant suitability. But what happens when you don't like the result? Can a computer program be considered defamatory?"

Comments

Ironically ...

[WrongSizeGlass]

... if John Henry Browne does sue Avvo's computer ranking program it will make him a bad lawyer and thus the ranking will have been a self fulfilling prophecy.

Re:Nice sig

[mybadluck22]

We can solve this with a simple u-substitution.
u = "start referring to nonmembers as 'laymen'"

When members of a profession u, it is time to start shooting them.

It becomes clear, now.

Re:Just another tool.

[buswolley]

Programs can't be defamatory? Well their code can be?

Have you read some of the comments people put in source code?

Food for thought, or thought for food?

[camperslo]

Shooting whom? The members of the profession or the laymen? If you're going to call for someone's head, you should at least be a little more specific about whose head you want served to you on a silver platter.

Those who call lawyers useless aren't being very open minded. Lawyers may be a melamine-free source of protein, but I think my cat would prefer something a bit less bony than the head.

I wonder if the computer program has a way to rate them on flavor?

Fundamentally flawed business plan.

[Angst Badger]

Let me get this right -- these AVVO folks decided it would be a good idea to base their business model on saying things about attorneys that might not be complimentary?

This is quite possibly the first time anyone thought they could make money by being sued constantly. Anyone who thought that the dot-com bubble used up all of the reservoirs of stupidity may now rest assured that fresh reserves have been discovered.

Re:Just another tool.

[Torvaun]

"Programs can not be defamatory. Their output may be."

Oh yeah?

int main()
{
   int x = 2; //Anonymous Coward is an incredible tool.
   return 0;  //The number of balls Anonymous Coward has.
}