Picture This: Why Google News needs a human editor

Ian Lamont — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:15:50 -0700

Algorithm-driven news aggregators are all the rage these days, but they can sometimes generate some odd results, as evidenced by the top item this morning in the Google News business section:

What, exactly, does a multibillion-dollar deal involving corn have to do with a cartoon personality that looks like a cross between Michael Jackson and Wilbur from Charlotte's Web? Why, the cartoon is one of the lovable mascots from Minyanville, which creates "branded properties that entertain and educate people interested in finance." The Google News thumbnail is linked to a 10-day-old "Stocks to watch" column with this caricature at the top of the page.

Note to Google News developers: Your photo-matching algorithm still needs some work.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Google invests $1 billion in Facebook
Prediction: Google makes bid for Digg
Ian Lamont: Is Twitter worth $75 million? $150 million? How about none of the above?
Ian Lamont: Why podcasting is failing