[Foundation-l] Personal Image Filter results announced

[Thomas Morton]

>
> Thus, to use categories for an image filtering system would indeed
> require constructing a category for the specific purpose of exclusion.
> Big ALA "actually, that *is* censorship" alarm goes off.


This is true, and I agree. but...


> * The category system is constructed of minute subcategories, not
> broad categories that are then combined.
>
> You could then say "this and everything under it." But then you run into:
>
> * The category system is not very consistent.
> * The category system is not free of loops.
> * An image on en:wp could be a local image (one system of categories)
> or a Commons image (a completely different system of categories).
>

This is largely an engineering problem; and it can probably be overcome with
some architecture work. As we are going to be implementing a major new
feature *anyway* it's not something to reject outright, I think :)

Obviously given the complexity of the category tree system any such
engineering wouldn't be infallible - but you could match it to most use
cases. Ultimately it is just a collapsing tree problem, and they are ten a
penny to a decent engineer :)

Tom