Personal News Service Sets Google under prere
It is only a few days ago that Microsoft was attacked by search engine prime Google on in a root terrain, the Windows desktop name: Google had put his desktar on the net, which is conveniently located from the Windows desktop from the Google search even without browser can start. Now Microsoft beats back – (yet) not with its own search window on the desktop, for sure with your own message service. The attack destination is called: Google News.
With the beta version of his MSN Newsbot, Microsoft starts its own intelligence service for the first time, which is similar to Google News messages automatically from more than 4.000 communications sources together.
Unlike other intelligence services, however, the MSN Newbot for MSN Passport customers is customizable. Who is logged in to Passport, gets messages that are individually tailored to his interests. Personalization is based on UserTracking: The user’s clicking behavior is transferred to MSN, stored and evaluated. In addition, he is prior to presenting those news that could interest him due to his previous click behavior.
MSN Weib, what his customers read
Joshua Peterson, one of the main managers for the development of the new MSN newsbot, is a specialist for personalization. Before he moved to Microsoft in Marz this year, he was at OnlineBuchhandler Amazon.Com For the Personalization area.
He has co-developed the algorithms that ensure that each Amazon customer comes almost as at home at the online bookhandler: you will be charmed personal, Amazon Weib exactly what you relyed on how much money and where your own interests , secret wishes and private inclinations. From the information about what the customer purchased, listed on his Amazon wish list or stated in a customer survey, his potential purchase request are extrapolated. In addition, Amazon stores the surfing behavior of each customer. His online shopping traces are processed into a specific customer profile.
Last But Not Least takes place with other customers according to the motto: "Customers who bought this CD also ordered…". Especially at the Amazon model of the customer recommendation, personalization expert Peterson had his fingers in the game. The personalized readerservice, which MSN turns out roughly as progress towards other news offers, contributes significantly its handwriting.
For the technical details of his new intelligence service, Microsoft does not allow much to say. However, the personalization concept was allowed to provide for violently swelling data streams between Passport customers and the central MSN servers. PrivacyDs will lay their forehead in worries.
Automated herd journalism
Who is not Passport customer, gets a general newsful view of the MSN newsbot delivered free house. For this purpose, the MSN Message Person Messages from the areas of world news, national news, business, sports, entertainment, science / health and technology together.
Similar to Amazon’s customer recommendation, it will be under the title for all users "Most Popular Articles" give an area with current news recommendations. Which news is recommended, no news editor from meat and blood decides, but a special grouping algorithm. This algorithm takes into account u. a. the number of sources of a message, your publication date and the number of users who have already clicked this message. Accordingly, the ranking of the news in the individual subcategories is also set.
Critics of this automated selection principle can say that this was the meaning of top news that would already be found everywhere anywhere, while in terms of content well-important messages of individual editorial offices in the newsmainstream sang and tallibles undergone. Result goods a kind "Herden journalism", who is always stronger only to the supposed top messages – a general objection, which is also valid for Google and Yahoo. The question is therefore in the room: What will Microsoft will choose the readers of his newsbots for a future?
The MSN grouping algorithm, of course, is strictly related business secret, its result is not: Top message at msn newsbot UK is on the 18th.11.2003, 20:44 Mez not the Bush visit to London, but a murder process, the England allegedly in breath breathing. And the top spot in the "Most Popular Articles"-Honeylist occupies a message from the pop-music sector: Britney Spears New Single (feat. Madonna) did not manage the pole position in the English charts – tightly followed by the current second-popular message: "Microsoft Tests Web News Service". A fool, who thinks bad things.
Incidentally, MSN Newbot is currently only available for the Bobbea, Spain, Italy and France. Further country-specific versions are in preparation according to MSN.