In this chapter we presented a brief description of the Usenet Net News system and several of that system's characteristics. We described how most current filtering systems are based around the idea of queries or user-profiles and explained how those techniques do not adequately support all users. We then described the concept of collaborative filtering along with the Tapestry system which first embodied it. In the next chapter, we will examine how the characteristics of Net News make it well suited for collaborative filtering and set out the types of functionality we believe a collaborative filtering system for Net News should have.
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