RE: [xml-dev] Aggregated content, fact checking, PICS, Atom/RSS (was Rigged Aggregators)

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <len.bullard@intergraph.com>]

In accordance with the intent of the tallying agent.  It is the 
intent of the tallying agent that has to be measured and valued. 
This is generally called 'oversight'.  As I said to Jeff, at times 
and in some cases weak means are sufficient.  Otherwise, not.  Be 
sure the control is worth the trouble and design no controls that 
cannot be enforced.  (A guideline is a weak control.  A law is a 
strong control.)

See RISS (Regional Information Sharing Systems).  Note the 
CFR 28 Part 23 requirement.  Contrast this with ChoicePoint or Google.

Note that a problem of RSS is that like HTML, it is a generalized format 
which makes value-assignments tougher (not impossible, just 
tougher).  Note that the format is only a part of the solution. 
The rules which are the consequents of the value antecedents 
(aka, business rules for a business of some type) are important.
The format should be designed to enable rule evaluation. (NSS).

As to Google:  I don't agree with the article cited.  It works 
reasonably well differentiated by the skill of the human at 
creating a keyword list.   The combination [someWord definition] 
works reliably.  The combination [someWord someotherword] may not. 
The intent to get a definition is clearly expressed.   In the 
second case, the intent is less precise; however, given a need 
to research serendipitously (ie, what is intended is to connect 
previously unconnected items), it works well and has the cost 
of reading lots of stuff perhaps.   What is then useful is the 
vetted score for the information retrieved which is the last 
item on your list.

But before we go too far, let's remember that a virtue of the 
web as an information source is precisely that it is inclusive, 
not exclusive.  Otherwise, it becomes one of those highly tailored 
sources of news where all the spin favors one or another political 
viewpoint.  It is the filters being applied by higher authorities 
that are the really scary development.   Again, the intent of 
selection of the filter before passing on the information has to 
be measured.  Google works as long as the interface remains simple 
and the user has to learn by experiment how to query it in accordance 
with their own values.

That it also returns junk is undeniably true.  There is a lot of 
junk out there to return.  Caveat emptor.

len


From: sterling [mailto:sstouden@thelinks.com]

How should the values of the Blog be tallied?
   immediate and breaking news source
   open response 
   unformatted presentation
   uncensored exposition
   the diverse thousands focus on the specific
   idea generator 
   related issues exploration.
   delination of the facts into revelant vs. non relevant.
sterling