Strapping On The Stupid Filter
If you’re tired of getting web pages filled with spun, nonsensical content in your search results or having to scroll through dozens of stupid blog comments before finding useful information, don’t give up on the Internet just yet.
Maybe it’s elitist. But it sure as hell is going to be useful.
It’s called the Stupid Filter.
What is Stupid Content?
According to the developers, stupid content includes some of the following irritants:
- All caps;
- No punctuation;
- Poor grammar;
- Many abbreviations or uses of terms such as “LOL.”
The Stupid Filter will not be able to decipher anything that is potentially stupid because it is not a form of artificial intelligence. Instead, it screens stupidity with its detailed database of spam and stupidity indicators. For example, I typed the question, “I don’t quite understand how the filter works, but love the concept” in the Stupid Filter demo:
CAPTION: Add text to the Stupid Filter demo and submit.
While a programmer may think my question is stupid, the way the question was written passed the stupidity test:
CAPTION: Passing the Stupidity Test.
Where the Stupid Filter is Headed
The software will be open source, and the developers intend to release code that can be incorporated into content management systems, blogs, wikis and the like. They also plan to develop a fully implemented Firefox plugin and a Wordpress plugin. For those of us who like to receive comments on our blogs, the Wordpress plug may be a great way to delete spammy comments that make their way past Askimet.
To learn more about the Stupid Filter, or how you can help with its release, visit the Stupid Filter Project site.
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