<p>I read this morning over on <ahref="http://bopuc.levendis.com/weblog/archives/-2006/11/06/when_the_money_comes_knocking_egotism_answers.php">bopuc's blog</a> that <ahref="http://flickr.com/">Flickr</a> is <ahref="http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060242139%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060242139&RS=DN/20060242139">patenting "interestingness"</a>. I realize this was probably yahoo's lawyers' idea... but I have to say it sucks. -1 Yahoo.</p>
<p>Why does it suck? Well, in general I don't believe in patents - I don't think they serve the intended purpose of "protecting" the idea and have several negative side effects. However, this particular patent hits a bit closer to home for me. I have been closely involved in the <ahref="http://www.terminus1525.ca/">Terminus 1525</a> project since its inception. In it's latest revision, Terminus 1525 introduced "terminosity" as a method for better finding good artwork on the site that we felt was otherwise getting lost in the noise. It was one of the main features of the new <ahref="http://www.terminus1525.ca/explore">explore tool</a>. </p>
<p>Now, it's perhaps premature... it's not like Yahoo! has served terminus1525 with cease and desist orders or anything and, realistically, they're not likely to. But in a web2.0 world where we need to get better at filtering through all the "stuff" (call it media) that we've gotten good at getting out there, I don't see a whole lot of good coming from this one.</p>
