Twitter's 'LasVagas' hashtag fail shows why algorithms are terrible for the news

On Tuesday, Twitter provided us with the perfect example of just how bad algorithms are at the news: #LasVagasShooting.

A close look reveals a simple misspelling: “Vagas” instead of “Vegas.” It’s not on purpose. “Las Vagas” offers no deeper meaning, no Spanish translation that makes sense. It’s just a mistake made by a few people that is now being repeated by thousands more thanks to Twitter’s automated system.

That system ended up pushing #LasVagasShooting to be a top trending hashtag on Tuesday morning and the top trend about the Sunday night mass shooting in which a gunman killed at least 59 people and wounded more than 500 others during a country music festival.  Read more…

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Source: Mashable
Original Post: Twitter's 'LasVagas' hashtag fail shows why algorithms are terrible for the news