Jon Herlocker: From Amazon.com to OSU's Valley Library

By studying the various paths people use to find information on the internet, professor Jon Herlocker's "collaborative filtering" software streamlines the searches performed by other users. Before joining OSU Engineering three years ago, Herlocker's PhD research in this area was utilized by Amazon.com so the online retailer could personalize the information it shows each customer, indicating items chosen by other people who liked similar books or music.

At OSU, Herlocker is building on his earlier research and just released a free version of a collaborative filtering engine that helps "anyone using e-commerce obtain Amazon.com-type of personalization," he says.

Herlocker is also collaborating with OSU's Valley Library to develop an innovative "ecard catalog" that could revolutionize the way library patrons search for information. Instead of having to know the title or author, the patron can type a specific question. The computer analyzes past searches for similar information by other patrons and shows the results. The more the system is used, the smarter it becomes.

Herlocker is also developing software called TaskTracer, which, among other things, makes personal computer information more usable by reconfiguring a user's computer desktop according to what project they are currently working on--no more shuffling windows each time you move between projects. "Microsoft is very interested in this one," Herlocker says.