Google Files "FriendRank" Patent (identifies the most influential of a circle of friends) | Hacker News Reader

Google Files "FriendRank" Patent (identifies the most influential of a circle of friends)

appft1.uspto.gov

19 pointsnickb16 comments

Software patents sereve no purpose other than inhibiting the progress of us a a species. And lawyers go "YES!".

And about Google: That's how it starts. Let's see when everyone's favorite Google changes their motto into "Don't be too evil".

If Google didn't file for it chances are some patent troll would. I agree that patents are evil but sometimes they're necessary for defense (see Barracuda fighting back against Trend Micro)

they already did that. Wasn't there a story like 6 months ago where a Google Big Wig pretty much said oh thats just a load of crap

I thought Google was against software patents.

Even if you are against software patents, you have to file them unless you want other people to use them against you. For example, if Facebook had patented this technique then Google wouldn't be able to use it without licensing it from Facebook, or spending a ton of money to dig up prior art.

Surely all they need to protect themselves is publish a paper outlining the method into the public domain?

I think its more about building a patent arsenal so that when other large software companies think about enforcing a patent against Google they will get scared off due to the risk of a counter action.

True, but you can't get to "no patents" via "more patents". If Google are genuinely against software patents, they should not participate, and fight them by other means, including entering "patent disarmament" agreements with other large companies.

Organisations change, and the Google of tomorrow will probably be riddled with machiavellians and sociopaths, who consider the growing arsenal of software patents quite useful.

In a world where there's no crazy-ass bullshitters who spread their disease shamelessly even if don't have an ounce of legitimacy? Yes.

Specially when it means they can't use other peoples software... their patents, on the other hand...

I thought about this idea for awhile after reading Link, but it would be very to theorize unless I had access to data for a huge social network.

And it's not just the most influential, but you can further break it down to by finding who are the early adopters, connectors, and evangelist of the group. This I think would be the holy grail for any advertiser.

Are all Google's algorhitm open for use by anyone?

I mean PageRank and this for example. Do they patent just so noone else can steal it or I have to license PageRank from Google in order to use it?

The Google index algorithm is a trade secret. Whatever they published while at school is available and is often studied in search engine classes, but the most recent version algorithm is probably only available to only the most necessary people. PageRank is part of this algorithm but isn't the only part in determining where a result will fall.

This "FriendRank" algorithm will also be a trade secret. The patent here based on my quick scan is patenting the method that they will use to advertise to people using this FriendRank through Google's services or future services. For example, where it will be placed on the screen and how it will look.

Unfortunately, it doesn't really describe the algorithm. It would be interesting to see what the differences with vanilla PageRank might be.

so the more popular (or 'influential') I am the more ads I'll have on my profile?

filed only a year and a half ago -- pretty quick!

It's just a provisional application so far => not so quick.

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