Hello,

To me, this shows that the search engine is badly configured, or has a
major problem.
So fix it instead of creating a filter, which would have unwanted side effects.
Having a good search engine would be within the WMF mission,
creating a filter is not.

Regards,

Yann

2011/10/12 Andreas Kolbe <jayen...@yahoo.com>:
>> From: Tobias Oelgarte <tobias.oelga...@googlemail.com>
>> > Someone on Meta has pointed out that Commons seems to list sexual image 
>> > results for search terms like cucumber, electric toothbrushes or pearl 
>> > necklace way higher than a corresponding Google search. See 
>> > http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/commons-l/2011-October/006290.html
>>
>> > Andreas
>> This might just be coincidence for special cases. I'm sure if you search
>> long enough you will find opposite examples as well.
>
> Tobias,
>
> If you can find counterexamples, I'll gladly look at them. These were the 
> only three we checked this afternoon, and the difference was striking.
>
> Here is another search, "underwater":
>
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=underwater&fulltext=Search
>
>
> The third search result in Commons is a bondage image:
>
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Underwater_bondage.jpg
>
>
> On Google, with safe search off, the same image is the 58th result:
>
> http://www.google.co.uk/search?gcx=w&q=underwater+site:commons.wikimedia.org&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1095&bih=638
>
>> But wouldn't it run
>> against the intention of a search engine to rate down content by
>> "possibly offensive"? If you search for a cucumber you should expect to
>> find one. If the description is correct, you should find the most
>> suitable images first. But that should be based on the rating algorithm
>> that works on the description, not on the fact that content is/might
>> be/could be controversial.
>
>> Implementing such a restriction for a search engine (by default) would
>> go against any principal and would be discrimination of content. We
>> should not do this.
>
> You are not being realistic. If someone searches for "cucumber", "toothbrush" 
> or "necklace" on Commons, they will not generally be looking for sexual 
> images, and it is no use saying, "Well, you looked for a cucumber, and here 
> you have one. Stuck up a woman's vagina."
>
> Similarly, users entering "jumping ball" in the search field are unlikely to 
> be looking for this image:
>
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jumping_ball_01.jpg
>
> Yet that is the first one the Commons search for "jumping ball" displays:
>
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=jumping+ball&fulltext=Search
>
> We are offering an image service, and the principle of least astonishment 
> should apply. By having these images come at the top of our search results, 
> we are alienating at least part of our readers who were simply looking for an 
> image of a toothbrush, cucumber, or whatever.
>
> On the other hand, if these images don't show up among our top results, we 
> are not alienating users who look for images of the penetrative use of 
> cucumbers or toothbrushes, because they can easily narrow their search if 
> that is the image they're after.
>
> Are you really saying that this is how Commons should work, bringing up 
> sexual images for the most innocuous searches, and that this is how you would 
> design the user experience for Commons users?
>
> Andreas

_______________________________________________
foundation-l mailing list
foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l

Reply via email to