Glossary » information filtering
information filtering
selecting subsets of information to deliver to the user, based on user preferences, relevance of the information, and past information usage. Information filtering is quite similar to the information retrieval field, except that information is viewed as being sent to a passive user (through a broadcast medium) rather than being actively sought after by the user. Information filters may operate on a publishers/broadcasters behalf or on a user’s behalf as an intelligent agent. A key consideration is to help the user avoid information overload. The key problem, shared with the information retrieval community, is determining the relevance or importance of a given chunk of information.
