Re: Search Engines: Inaccuracy in Basic Information

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Apr 27 2003 - 09:48:57 MDT

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    --- Anders Sandberg <asa@nada.kth.se> wrote:
    > On Sun, Apr 27, 2003 at 04:07:55AM -0400, Nathanael Allison wrote:
    >
    > > What can be done about this? Is there programs that could either
    > > change the info or tell the page/page owner that the info is
    > > wrong. Is this something that will be around until AI can deal
    > > with it?
    >
    > If you have a particularly specific or bad factoid, you could always
    > search for it and email pages with it. It could even be automated,
    > but you would likely be spamming people just referring to it (a
    > search for "we only use 10% of our brains" gave 211 hits on google,
    > and all hits on
    > the first page debunked it). A more specific number "China GNP 4389
    > billion" might work better, but it is still error-prone.

    This actually sounds like it might be the basis of a very popular
    website. Imagine a site dedicated to fact checking. Even presenting
    different facts *along with their subjective contexts*.

    For example, one fact would be "New Hampshire has only 18 miles of
    coastline" *in the context of* measuring a straight line from the
    Massachesetts to Maine borders. Another fact would be "NH has ### miles
    of coastline", in the context of measuring actual linear saltwater
    waterfront on a foot or meter scale. At both high, mean, and low tides.

    Every reporter, professor, and college/high school student would have a
    use for such a website.

    =====
    Mike Lorrey
    "Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
                                                         - Gen. John Stark
    "Pacifists are Objectively Pro-Fascist." - George Orwell
    "Treason doth never Prosper. What is the Reason?
    For if it Prosper, none Dare call it Treason..." - Ovid

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