Algorithm Rates Trustworthiness of Wikipedia Pages

paleshadows writes "Researchers at UCSC developed a tool that measures the trustworthiness of each Wikipedia page. Roughly speaking, the algorithm analyzes the entire 7-year user-editing-history and utilizes the longevity of the content to learn which contributors are the most reliable: If your contribution lasts, you gain 'reputation,' whereas if it's edited out, your reputation falls. The trustworthiness of a newly inserted text is a function of the reputation of all its authors, a heuristic that turned out to be successful in identifying poor content. The interested reader can take a look at this demonstration (random page with white/orange background marking trusted/untrusted text, respectively; note "random page" link at the left for more demo pages), this presentation (pdf), and this paper (pdf)."

Light Bulb Moment

[dsginter]

Someone should make a wikipedia entry for this algorithm to see how trustworthy it is.

Hmmm... A reputation metric...

[Colin Smith]

It'd be nice if it could be generalised to other sites...
 

Seems to work ...

[Purity Of Essence]

Seems to work, the entire page turned orange.

hmmm...

[PJ1216]

They should just call it wiki-karma.

A reasonable first step...

[dbolger]

...but call me when there's a tool to measure the truthiness of an article.

Goddamn...

[gowen]

How did they pass up the chance to name this algorithm "Truthiness"? [wikipedia.org]

Re:This will promote one thing

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree!

Maybe in the future

[Unique2]

What we really need is some sort of algorithm that compares new information to that which is already stored. It then could test hypotheses to gain further understanding. Unfortunately a machine with enough processing power to run this "critical thinking and understanding" algorithm would be impossible to build with today's technology. We would need a new type of processor that has maybe billions of "organic neurons", it would need to be equipped with highly sophisticated sensors, a method of self transportation, self-healing and even it's own energy production system which could harvest energy indirectly from the Sun. We can only dream of such technology being available to everyone.

Re:If

[Tribbin]

Whereas the implementation of "+1 funny" will be the end of the information age.

Re:Unpopular but neutral points of view?

[gplus]

And by far not all information that isn't backed up by source links right now is worthless or wrong.

I want that sentence taken outside and shot. :)