• Media Decoder, Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2:37 PM

The algorithm is taking over! Wired'sDaniel Roth explains how Demand Media uses a three-part algorithm that uses search terms, ad market key words, and content from other available media to decide on a variety of topics that people will be searching for, and then turns out "stories" to rank highly in organic search results. Demand serves up 4,000 videos and stories a day designed to attract consumers and advertisers. By next summer, Demand expects to be publishing one million items a month.

But is Demand's answer and news factory, which cranks out answers to questions that are just forming in the minds of audiences, a societal good or evil? Both Roth and David Carr of the Times blog seem to be on the fence about it. If search ranking was the only factor involved in marketing a piece of content, we'd be more concerned.

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