Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mtxinu!shore
From: shore@mtxinu.COM (Melinda Shore)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: Articles most often cited in comp.all
Message-ID: <1087@mtxinu.UUCP>
Date: 29 Dec 89 19:37:51 GMT
References: <6872@tank.uchicago.edu> <4510@hydra.gatech.EDU> <HADXM@rpi.edu> <15039@bfmny0.UU.NET>
Reply-To: shore@mtxinu.com (Melinda Shore)
Organization: mt Xinu, Berkeley
Lines: 15

In article <15039@bfmny0.UU.NET> tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes:
>Basically the 'most cited' attempt is CLUELESS.  It appears to exist
>primarily for the sake of appearing important.  Vowel counts would be
>about as interesting.

Well, no, not exactly.  Citing patterns can tell us a lot about
the ways in which information is propagated and about information
transfer.  That said, I still don't like the "most cited" postings.
If I wanted the information I'd gather it locally.  I suspect that
most people (including me) aren't that interested in the information,
and it could have the unfortunate effect of encouraging people to 
write articles that are likely to incite follow-ups.
-- 
Melinda Shore                             shore@mtxinu.com
mt Xinu                          ..!uunet!mtxinu.com!shore