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Inside UC Berkeley's High Tech Joke Recommender

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the much-better-than-my-bone-rolling-system dept.

alphadogg writes "Every day is something like April Fools' Day at the University of California, Berkeley joke recommendation site, dubbed Jester. Now on Version 4.0, the site tosses visitors a handful of jokes to rate on a scale of "less funny" to "more funny." It then recommends jokes based on the user's taste (or lack thereof), dynamically making recommendations based on the user's most recent ratings. Jester's more than a joke jukebox though. Underlying it is a Berkeley-patented "collaborative filtering algorithm" dubbed Eigentaste , now on Version 5.0. The more people who use the system and rate jokes, the more data Berkeley researchers have to advance their understanding of recommendation systems, like those used by Amazon.com and other Web sites."

7 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Other uses? by Hatta · · Score: 5, Funny

    Could this algorithm be applied to porn?

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    1. Re:Other uses? by Jonas+the+Bold · · Score: 4, Funny

      You could have warned us the link was NSFW you ass

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      Everything seemed to be going so nice
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  2. Not sure about the recommendation by shadow349 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I rated 8 jokes and it gave me this recommendation:

    Could not connect to user database: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (11)

    I don't get it.

    1. Re:Not sure about the recommendation by raddan · · Score: 3, Funny

      I just figured that maybe my sense of humor was so atrocious, it crashed trying to think of one.

  3. Warning. It's another covert US military project by GreatBunzinni · · Score: 4, Funny

    They are trying to develop the funniest joke in the world.

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  4. Re:Link to the actual thing... by Steve+Newall · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it just me? I didn't find the joke "Could not connect to user database: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (11)" particularly funny.

  5. Slashdotted by Jhan · · Score: 4, Funny

    But before it went it actually did seem to be homing in on my sense of humor.

    A castaway crawls up on a far-way beach only to be greeted by a hundred angry, armed savages. The chief approaches him.

    Castaway:

    Oh, God, I'm screwed!

    Suddenly, the clouds split asunder and our castaway hears the voice of God:

    No, my son. Thou art not screwed yet. Pick ye up the rock before you, and bring it unto the head of the chief.

    Inspired, the castaway lifts the heavy rock before him and smashes it into the skull of the chief just as he walks up. The chief falls down dead.

    Again the voice of God booms:

    Now you're screwed.

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    I choose to remain celibate, like my father and his father before him.