On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 15:55:55 -0700, JESSE WILKINS <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
> The thing is, it's not enough to do the searches. There is also a process of
> winnowing the wheat from the chaff, picking one version/source over another,
> paying attention so as not to send the same story several days, noting
> relevant changes to an ongoing story, etc.

Jesse has singled out the single problem faced with doing the news
searches. Winnowing out the the wheat from the chaff. I've been doing
RAIN now for close to 8 years now (wooo-weee).

to tell the truth I have about 40+ Google news alerts running right
now. (I find them much easier than their news service since they are
sent to my email account). compiling RAIN each day takes about 2 hours
minimum, that includes making pdfs of the stories I want to keep for
my files. A good example of the winnowing process can be seen this
week with a lot of the news sites publishing stories about FOIA and
open records. lots of stories but most are not relevant for this
group. Sometimes I will read an AP story and will take the time to
find the original story that triggered the AP account. A good example
of this concerned the closing of the Ampad tape plant in Alabama


> I appreciate mightily the work Peter has done to get to where RAIN is
> timely, relevant, and chock full o' goodness EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't read
> every story, but I read every RAIN and I'd say any given edition I read
> about 2/3.

Thanks Jesse. I don't expect everyone to click on and read every story
in a RAIN posting, but scanning the headlines should at least impart
some knowledge to you.


> Those who would disparage him for providing the product but not the method,
> either raise his pay, or build yer own!

Now we're talking! Cann't wait for the money to start rolling in ;-)

Pa

--
Peter Kurilecz CRM CA
Richmond, Va

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