A system and method for document filtering and selection based on quality
automatically operates to make value judgments for document retrieval.
Items of data, e.g. documents, are automatically associated a value.
Items of data may be then selected based upon value, which is not only
for the specific subject or topic requested, but also desirable according
to certain criteria, including each document's quality. A specific
application of the invention is to a filter for computerized bulletin
boards. Many of these systems, also known as discussion groups, have
thousands of new messages per day. Readers and human editors do not have
time to classify new messages by quality quickly. Messages may be ranked
by quality automatically, to perform the same function performed by a
human editor or moderator. Values and qualities may be assigned by
interestingness, appropriateness, timeliness, humor, style of language,
obscenity, sentiment, and any combinations thereof, for example.