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New Project To End Stupidity Online

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The Internet has vastly broadened the level of discourse in the world. No one can deny this, however, much of this discourse involves inane behavior, kindergarten level banter, and a lot of," You suck troll!!". It is clear that since the onslaught of Eternal September back in 1993, Net content has become much less intelligent. It is with this in mind that Gabriel Ortiz and Paul Starr started a new Open Source initiative, StupidFilter. StupidFilter promises to employ techniques, such as Bayesian filtering and rules processing, to allow blogs and browsers to detect stupidity in progress. We think it is very ironic (not to mention damned hilarious) that a few lines of code could outthink your average testosterone challenged, uncivil Netizen. Are computers smarter than we thought, or are people just less intelligent than we ever imagined?

"The concept behind the StupidFilter Project originated during a conversation between Gabriel Ortiz and Paul Starr. StupidFilter was conceived out of necessity. Too long have we suffered in silence under the tyranny of idiocy. In the beginning, the internet was a place where one could communicate intelligently with similarly erudite people. Then, Eternal September hit and we were lost in the noise. The advent of user-driven web content has compounded the matter yet further, straining our tolerance to the breaking point."

It's time to fight back.

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Comments

CTO, Panaqqa Inc.

Panaqqa (72.45.125.xxx) 2007-11-12 15:51:56

I for one welcome our Bayesian filtering stupidity aware overlords!

Sorry, Panaqqa...

David Stein (75.38.226.xxx) 2007-11-12 18:34:20

...I think that Simpsons quotes and derivatives thereof (e.g., "welcome our .*? overlords"

will be prime filtering candidates.

See also:

.*d'oh!?.*

.*have a cow.*

.*ay carumba.*

.*goggles do nothing.*

Please, please....

Appalbarry (207.112.102.xxx) 2007-11-12 18:59:46

Tell me that it can be adapted for use on politicians!

Finally

Katsujin (12.162.183.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:03:19

Now there really is a cure for stupid.

Heh!

Stupid Stupendous (61.14.27.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:06:20

Well filtering stupidity the way its depicted here is stupid...

Like everything else we know that people in general are stupid, more people use the internet the more stupid it gets. Filtering stupidity is nothing but filtering what *YOU* don't like. Instead of this Exclusive Elite Culture that is being advocated, I think more creative projects could be done to make *useful* content accessible. Google follows the stupid way!

--
Stupid Stupendous

In soviet russia...

Mercy (67.133.114.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:12:32

stupid filters you!

Send them back to the kitchen!

Patricia (71.201.196.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:28:27

Now if this plug-in was made an optional Trillian feature, I would be in heaven. I'm rather distressed at my female co-workers messaging me with "sentences" that contain less that seven letters.

the first step towards the las

Winston (207.118.35.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:36:43

Don't let this stupid filter thing get out of hand -- the machines might decide we're not smart enough to post ANYTHING, and take grab of the Internet for their own (no doubt diabolical) purposes. (I see the filter is not being used here, btw)

Support Our Syntax-Troubled Fr

Maxwell (70.130.185.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:41:56

Instead of the elitist methods describe therein, why don't we help out our friends, instead? I know I have friends who, if I didn't push them to better their syntax to at least the standards of a full sentence, wouldn't do so. However, now that I've taught them the proper methods, they find it annoying when others type in the manner they would have if they didn't know better. Thus, perhaps instead of pests, poor typists should be viewed as people worthy of our time and help.

The tech will clearly encourag

securityguru (66.169.10.xxx) 2007-11-12 19:57:55

Maxwell,

The way this will likely be implemented in blogs and such should encourage people to structure their commentary better. The average high traffic blog probably cannot budget their resources to help dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people to learn basic grade school rules of grammar. To me this is merely a way to nudge people to think a little longer before they post something inane.

Noble Idea

B-$tring (75.37.71.xxx) 2007-11-12 20:20:52

Very unlikely to prevent stupidity online considering that stupidity is more than mere language

But Will It Detect Irony

Carrie (12.191.193.xxx) 2007-11-12 20:21:34

I for one use poor grammar and spelling, but purely in an ironic way. Say you were to see something along the lines of "eye can haz a gramaz plz?" within a relatively well-written blog. Would the filter be clever enough to sense humor?

Also: "... are people just less intelligent than we ever imagined?"

Yes.

computers /are/ smarter

pedant (98.195.23.xxx) 2007-11-12 20:32:49

Quote:

Are computers smarter than we thought, or are people just less intelligent than we ever imagined?

Probably. They can at least spell "Bayesian" correctly.

hello grammar king

securityguru (66.169.10.xxx) 2007-11-12 20:36:11

both spellings of "Bayesian" are common.

Will it filter bad grammar?

Gozar the Grammarian (61.153.52.xxx) 2007-11-12 21:01:54

If we are going to filter stupid, and not just enforce some kind of testosterone-challenged revenge of the dorks, let us not take half-measures. It is "if I were you" and not "if I was you." You wasn't me, and you won't never be me. It's called the subjunctive. Look it up.

"Stupider," "weirder," "smarter," and not "more stupid," "more weird," and "more smart."

"They invited my wife and me out for dinner," not "...my wife and I," [shudder] "...me and my wife," or [cringe] "I and my wife."

Creative and unexpected strings of English word flung together by non-native speakers should be afforded some latitude, until we are prepared to learn Croatian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, etc. Ditto, typos. They happen from time to tiem (get it?).

The world is laughing at Americans, because we have all this wealth and cannot communicate in our own language. Let us not become even more of a laughingstock by...

Jon (202.78.240.xxx) 2007-11-12 21:02:55

So... all youtube comments then?

Youtube

Bubba (71.32.225.xxx) 2007-11-12 21:34:27

youtube comments are what they're going to use to train the filter.

Proper Grammar Is Important

Counterglow (66.38.139.xxx) 2007-11-12 21:50:00

So should that be, "Gozar the Grammarian's wife and I were out on a date last night", or "Gozar the Grammarian's wife and me were out on a date last night"?

And does etiquette require that I say nothing further, especially if it contains the synthe-word "pr0n"?

Gozar's wife

Wanderer (66.92.68.xxx) 2007-11-12 23:18:10

It's simple: You drop out the other person from the sentence. Is it "I was out on a date last night" or "Me was out on a date last night"? Once you've got the right one then you can put the other person (Gozar's wife in this case) back in and you're golden.

A stupid filter?

Not Stupid (210.80.165.xxx) 2007-11-12 23:24:29

*do not want*

Oh hang on... yes I do

Mutually Exclusive?

Kahanamoku (210.11.58.xxx) 2007-11-12 23:31:59

Any chance this filter may actually filter itself?

;D

retconned utopia

eyeroller (24.99.159.xxx) 2007-11-12 23:57:01

I love how the fog of years gives self-aware nerds the opportunity to wax nostalgic about how great it was in the beginning, before the unwashed masses sullied the virtual water cooler. Give me a break, there were always tards on Usenet, even before 1993.

As someone posted earlier, spend your effort on creating compelling content, not crapping out elitist garbage that makes you feel better about not getting laid until you turned 35.

Stupidity Filter, that's madne

Dex (203.22.83.xxx) 2007-11-13 00:00:51

waits patiently for a "This is SPARTA!!!!" response

Don't take this rudely...

concernedCitizen (74.14.113.xxx) 2007-11-13 00:12:42

I hope no one ever takes this project seriously. As far as I'm concerned you're wasting your time. The web is a place for everyone to publish thier thoughts, no matter how stupid. Why infringe on that?

securityguru (66.169.10.xxx) 2007-11-13 00:25:53

concernedCitizen: because your reading way to much into what this is...and what it is not. In essence this is a tool to allow more automated control over the level of noise that exists on the net. This isn't a free speech or liberty issue at all. Those concepts are actually an entirely separate matter. This merely attempts to enforce some vague level of clarity in online discourse, something sorely lacking all over the place. Anyone who doesn't wish to use this technology (which isn't even available yet) merely needs to decide not to. Webmasters are already exercising their perfectly appropriate rights censoring and removing inanity and stupidity from their forums, blogs, and comment systems. This is just an evolutionary step at addressing much larger issues.

Getting denied a post because a filter deems it grammatically stupid, should encourage someone to....think...and repost. It's hardly the end of the world to suggest people make an attempt at making sense when they write is it?

Ms.

Hanna Lurie Schmidt (89.247.222.xxx) 2007-11-13 01:33:43

Will I still be able to use Windows?

Now there's an enhancement opp

Will (210.8.170.xxx) 2007-11-13 01:36:58

Now there's an enhancement opportunity - add a 'stupid person' or a 'no sense of humour' tag to a person so we can filter out all input/blatherings from the likes of concernedCitizen.

A filter filters; it doesn't s

Will (210.8.170.xxx) 2007-11-13 01:41:12

Hello concernedCitizen; you seem to misunderstand what a filter is.

Think of a nice glass of water. Now throw in a handful of worms. Passing the contents of the glass through the filter will allow one to collect the water, but will keep out the worms.
The internet is the glass, information is the water, and stupid people add the worms.

Part of a good idea

TZ (82.232.200.xxx) 2007-11-13 01:57:18

I think that this filter is a first step to educate people who get too childish and basic when it comes to posting on the Net. If it works the way it's supposed to, then maybe some people will wait and think before typing something that wouldn't appear. BTW, it won't stop us from trying to educate others, at least on our little knowledge. Being elitist isn't always a bad thing, you know, look at martial arts...

How is babby formed?

Mike Heinrich (24.203.203.xxx) 2007-11-13 02:40:17

how is babby formed how girl get pragnent

even if this works

Chris (81.113.175.xxx) 2007-11-13 02:45:03

Some stupid 14 year old hacker will find a technique to crack the filter and go on with the stupidity flooding.

This will fail

Mathwiz (87.203.140.xxx) 2007-11-13 04:51:21

Simply because there is a way to outsmart Bayes.

stupidity rights?

amorpheus (141.228.250.xxx) 2007-11-13 04:57:01

Nobody's infringing on anyone's rights. It's personal choice whether you want to have a filter or not. Let the segregation begin. Plus I seriously doubt a Bayesian filter can outsmart the average ingenuity of the really stupid!

finally

red (76.6.107.xxx) 2007-11-13 08:36:19

perhaps this can be one step towards returning the internet to its original purpose... information, not unintelligible banter, raving, and just pure stupidity that no one wants to read unless they're looking for a good laugh.

Yes, remove the stupid.

M-RES (81.158.91.xxx) 2007-11-13 09:06:05

I'M SPARTACUS!!!

Stupidity filter my arse!

Hulk smash (193.195.42.xxx) 2007-11-13 09:25:06

This is the dumbest thing i've ever heard. The internet is about free speach, if i want to act like a retard, it's my choise, not the choise of some jumped up little turd of a programe.

Down With Trolls!

Dat (143.112.32.xxx) 2007-11-13 10:11:25

It is interesting to me that most of the comments so far have focused on spelling and grammar mistakes as being the filtering method. I gained a different understanding from the article; I would expect they are going to try to filter out the non-useful comments. You know, the ones that flame or irritate, but add little or nothing to the discussion - the Trolls. It wouldn't have so much to do with grammer and spelling, unless that was simply one of many methods of "scoring" an entry for filtering.

Non-Native Speaker

Pan_theFrog (204.193.68.xxx) 2007-11-13 10:19:16

On a regular basis I communicate with people to whom English is not a native tongue. They often use the wrong tense of a word, get the order of the words wrong. Should this filter prevent non-native speakers from being heard? Is the person with 2 PhDs, who speaks 6 languages, not smart enough to get to avoid being labeled 'stupid' just because they are not fluent in English?

Easy to write

SpliFF (203.63.39.xxx) 2007-11-13 10:48:03

I support Hanna's cynical comment. Simply block any browser that identifies itself as running under Vista and we're half-way there.

Alternatively, write a malware browser plugin and advertise it using annoying popup banners with animated smilies. The program will claim to increase internet speed by 1000% and block 100% of viruses. The program works by permanently blocking internet access for anyone gullible enough to download it.

INTERNETS (193.11.234.xxx) 2007-11-13 11:21:27

PRESS ENTOR!

This is long overdue.

The Doctor (70.184.242.xxx) 2007-11-13 11:32:19

Unfortunately, it does not make the acts of stupidity in themselves painful, thus depriving the stupid of a learning experience.

and the solution is:

smartie (80.109.48.xxx) 2007-11-13 11:58:38

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m geoip --src-cc US -j REJECT

The 7th Circle of Stupidity

A. Simon Templar (66.147.194.xxx) 2007-11-13 12:12:47

Heh -- "it doesn't stop you publishing, it just helps us avoid having to read" in itself seems pretty stupid. Last time I checked, every PC/Mac/B'berry/IP-gizmo has a turnoff means; use it!

Any rule-based filter is just as bad as the editors, producers, and presenters of the "old" media: think Dan Blather and his lies. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? The dead hand of ol' Tommy Bayes won't save you, Borg-baby.

While it sounds like a good id

Draxus (209.232.190.xxx) 2007-11-13 12:16:41

I learned long ago to never underestimate human stupidity. Just when you think you've made something idiot-proof along comes a better(???) idiot.

Um...

Timbo (74.231.176.xxx) 2007-11-13 13:09:57

Quote:

because your reading way to much into what this is...and what it is not.

Two spelling errors right in the first sentence. Please tell me that was irony.

All hail the second coming!

Regressor (149.142.103.xxx) 2007-11-13 13:40:25

Autobots, take back the internet!

the obvious consequence ....

xaruum (65.223.44.xxx) 2007-11-13 13:54:56

Sure, go ahead and place stupid filters on Usenet/IM/Blogs/email, but keep this one fact in mind:

In the 2002 Census found that the Average IQ of the US Citizen was only 90! That is 10 points below "average".

Stupid filters may have the somewhat humorous side-effect of effectively bumping the US off of the Internet. :o

some retorts....

securityguru (66.169.10.xxx) 2007-11-13 14:37:11

Hulk Smash: And blog owners and webmasters have the freedom of choice to think your a retard and deny your posts. If someone chooses to use such filtering technology, then you have the free choice to not comment there if you feel it abrogates your free right to behave like a retard. There's a significant difference between censorship and the right to disagree with one's behavior.

dat: indeed, I agree. It appears the guys at Stupidfilter.org are attempting to enhance the semantical capabilities of known and existing methods of filtering to identify such useless behavior.

Random bits

Cannduit (209.226.73.xxx) 2007-11-13 15:04:14

First - No human is able to use Windows; Windows trains and uses humans for commercial purposes
Second - The only way to successfully prevent stupid and/or lazy people is to ignore them entirely. The problem is that there are always at least a mating pair of stupid people feeding off each other.
How do we fight an enemy that has so many friends?

Zombies

Johndoe (132.22.254.xxx) 2007-11-14 14:52:52

I believe we are presented here with the classical Resident Evil dilemma. The game, not the movies. There are waves and waves of stupid people, we have only so many bullets. So let's take a step back and pretend they are zombies. We either take aim and shoot only the most threatening/necessary ones or we keep plugging away at the endless horde until we eventually realize our attempts to kill them all as futile. More Forum Admin jobs! Boy would I love to sit around all day and remove BS from respectable forums.

Fillibusterometer

dantana (208.221.166.xxx) 2007-11-14 17:11:08

A couple of guys at NC State University while I was there were working on this software called "the Fillibusterometer" as part of a natural language processing thesis that sought to detect the increasing level of "stupid" in a dialog. It output a BS graph. The results were pretty darn funny (and surprisingly accurate in our opinions). I'm too lazy to look it up for this thread though.

Associate Wiz

Sterling James (72.160.214.xxx) 2007-11-14 21:22:23

How does it feel being up against those who "rule the NET?"
Idiots please go away and play on YouTube and MyFace.
Have a lovely "whatever."

before the Eternal September

RedWolfe (71.111.199.xxx) 2007-11-15 09:17:37

I *was* there "before the beginning" (1978-79) and the initial level of discourse on the nascent Usenet was of a caliber to be envied.

It would be nice to have some sort of filter that could eliminate the crap.

Time!

The Man with a Stopwatch (70.243.13.xxx) 2007-11-15 16:01:41

Wow. I knew from reading the start of this article that people would be snarking about how stupid Americans are. I count around three such snarks thus far, one such "clever person" apparently suggesting that the solution is to ban US IPs entirely.

By the way, I'm rather certain that the IQ is calibrated to that of the average American. Thus, the average IQ of Americans will always be 100; other countries will have higher or lower average IQs, and it will depend on many factors.

However, am I the only one who's laughing bitterly at all the yahoos who claim Americans are "dumb hicks" with low IQs and that they should all be removed from the internet? As if stupidity and inane trollish comments never happen with people from other countries? Considering that the internet grew out of the American ARPANET, the whole hate/prejudice/smug arrogance people have towards Americans--and their advocating that Americans should get the business end of the "stupid filter"--wou...

Interesting lack of a point th

Man in the middle (71.223.229.xxx) 2007-11-16 19:54:23

To: The Man with a Stopwatch,

Thank you for providing a prime example of what the "stupidity" filter should act upon.

I see no previous post that suggests anything like what you have stated.

By conveniently ignoring what is actually being stated by previous posters, and blatantly substituting you own lack of knowledge; you have single-handedly proven the point of the project, this article, and most of the commentators.

Yaakov (70.248.112.xxx) 2007-11-17 18:17:00

I read through the first 10 or 12 comments. A real "stupid filter" would have filtered all of the comments. If you read through all of the previous comments to see this one, then, what can I say but you just demoted yourself to the bottom half of IQ band. :-)

SDG
Yaakov

Irony:

fezmonkey (68.123.41.xxx) 2007-11-19 16:24:04

Um...

"because your reading way to much into what this is..."

Elevating the level of discourse on the 'net is an admirable goal. I don't know if this is a good approach to that end, but it's interesting.

securityguru (66.169.10.xxx) 2007-11-21 01:34:58

I believe the focus is *not* on common spelling mistakes when someone is figuratively "typing from the hip". Indeed a "stupid filter" would likely end up being a friendly reminder to people to catch such mistakes and slow down and think a little before they finish a response. Why is that a bad thing?

Results from the live demo on

Aaron (66.32.82.xxx) 2008-05-01 12:46:13

Reminds me of the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test, enticing idea, easy to implement, but not very accurate.

Here are some results

Likely to be stupid:

I think therefore I am

Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived.

It is right to give every man his due

Not likely to be stupid:

My main goal is to shoot myself in the foot. Everyone should have such a lofty goal.

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