Google Wins Rights to Aussie Algorithm

rcbutcher writes to tell us the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Google has just acquired the rights to a brand new text search algorithm invented by a University of NSW student. From the article: "Orion works as an add-on to existing search engines to improve the relevance of search and won praise from Microsoft founder Bill Gates last year. [...] Orion finds pages where the content is about a topic strongly related to the key word. It then returns a section of the page, and lists other topics related to the key word so the user can pick the most relevant."

What about Slashdot?

[TheComputerMutt.ca]

Something like this could be used to check if the content of first posts is related to the story or not. ;-P

His future is so bright, he's got to wear shades!

[n8k99]

Google just bought your script before Microsoft could do more than praise it; I would suggest you duck before the chair hits the fan.

Re:His future is so bright, he's got to wear shade

[David Hume]

Google just bought your script before Microsoft could do more than praise it; I would suggest you duck before the chair hits the fan.

Actually, Gates praised the algorithm in order to fake Google into wasting millions of dollars on it. The algorithm is actually punk ass shit.

You don't think that Gates would say anything publicly before buying all the rights if the algorithm were any good, do you? :)
 

WOW

[caffeinemessiah]

I know English majors aren't the most technologically gifted, but COME ON!!:

The algorithm, or search engine tool, is called Orion.

Way to reduce CS to the web. And that was possibly the most UN-enlightening article I've EVER read. Does anyone have a link to something with more meat??

Re:WOW

[Columcille]

Does anyone have a link to something with more meat??
I hope this helps: Another article [wikipedia.org].

Re:Very fishy

[flyingsquid]

First, it is funny how various countries are putting a nationalistic spin on it. Israeli newspapers are focusing on the fact that the inventor is an Israeli. Australian newspapers are focusing on the fact that he is Australian. Only the national newspapers are spinning this as "revolutionary technology."

Yes, but bought by an American company. USA! USA! USA!

Re:Uh.....

[patio11]

Now THAT would be an interesting premise for a cyberpunk short story. "Got a new quantum prime sieve. Tears down the hardest ICE in a matter of nanos. What you got?" "The best Starcraft AI ever." "I'm not a fan of the old school." "Hmm... in that case, a steganographic algorithm so powerful it can hide fourty-five terabytes in your rand() seed?" "Oh, that sounds good" "6D Pong, default settings?" "Your algorithmical distinctiveness will be added to my own."

University of NSW?

[jigjigga]

Anyone else read it as NSFW? Heh.

Re:His future is so bright, he's got to wear shade

[Ohreally_factor]

Do you even know what you're talking about? Have you even tried it? It works really well. Do a search for Foster's and the first result is beer, followed by sheila, shrimp on the barbie, and g'day mate. I don't know how we ever survived before having an Aussie algorithm.

Re:Very fishy

[Ohreally_factor]

I'm just extremely proud that the inventor was a man.

Re:Challengin other search engines

[Wellington Grey]

It's entirely possible that the media sources we trust to be accurate are actually riddled with errors.

::Clasps hand over mouth in mock shock and horror::

-Grey [wellingtongrey.net]

Re:Uh.....

[Ohreally_factor]

I couldn't tell if your fictional geeks were comparing penis sizes, wagering, or negotiating a marriage.

Re:Uh.....

[kfg]

Yes.

KFG

It's an Australian invention

[Centurix]

if(SearchText=='crikey') rank++;

Re:Very fishy

[Anarchitect_in_oz]

Australia is a multi-cultural nation, we claim anyone as ours if they are here at the time of doing something interesting.

Except Russel Crowe, he turned out to be complete knob and we don't want him anymore, so now he's a New Zealander again.

Re:What's with the headline?

[kyb]

I agree. When eBay sends me an email saying "Congratulations, you have Won!", I read "Congratulations, you're prepared to pay more for this item than anyone else in the entire world". I suppose they phrase it nicely just to stop you from feeling like a loser.

Aussies are gonna getcha now!

[Anonymous Coward]

How dare you try to pull the rug out from another of our cause célèbres? See, Google is a big, famous, mostly American company, and they've bought an Australian product! That makes all Aussies famous and important and sopheeeeesteeecated! No, really, it does. Honestly. So stop trying to ruin this for us you ungrateful fuckwit, and keep saying nice things about the United States of Australia, because our egos need it.

Now watch this post get modded straight to hell by my infuriated countrymen.

Re:Other algorithms have been around...

[nacturation]

What insanely great insight into language processing can a CS student have that whole teams of experts still didn't get?

Patent office.
 

Re:It's an Australian invention

[NoMaster]

Actually, it's more complicated than that:

if ((GeolocateSourceIP=="USA") && (ResultIncludes("crikey")) rank++

Australians don't say "crikey!" (much - unless we're toying with the Seppos ;-); we don't drink Fosters (unfortunately, Australia's best-selling beer is VB, which is even worse...); and we don't all ride around in kangaroos (we have wallabies, which are smaller and easier to park...)

Truth be told, the typical Australian is less like Steve Irwin, and more like that other great Australian export - The Wiggles. Next time you meet an Australian sneak up behind them, make your hands into pistol-shapes, rotate them vertically in front of you, and scream "WAKE UP, JEFF!" in their ear. They'll appreciate it ;-)

Re:Very fishy

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm just extremely proud that the inventor was a man.

So I guess we know what he did with the money then.

Re:What about Slashdot?

[Aladrin]

Why stop at first topic? It could be used to -gasp- prevent dupes!

Example:

Topic: Bill Gates plans to rule world.

Warning: Your topic has been posted 82 times. Do you wish to post anyhow?

Yes No

Eh, okay, maybe it wouldn't work after all.

Re:What about Slashdot?

[gEvil (beta)]

Topic: Bill Gates plans to rule world.

Woah woah woah! Bill Gates plans to do what?!? Why haven't I heard anyone say anything about this before???

Re:What's with the headline?

[gEvil (beta)]

Well, they'll be upset to learn that I've discovered the secret to always winning on eBay. You simply enter a bunch of nines into the number field. Whammo! Winner every time! Hehehehe...suckers...

Re:His future is so bright, he's got to wear shade

[neersign]

actually, you would search for "beer" and you would get Foster's...because Foster's is Australian for beer.

Re:WOW

[Jearil]

Sure! Here you go [redmeat.com].

Re:Very fishy

[ConceptJunkie]

Oh, so it's important to you that a PERSON wrote this algorithm?

Speciesist!