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To: Charles Wayne <clwayne@snap.org>
From: Jaime Carbonell <jgc@NL.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: Re: TOPIC LIST 3
Date: Sun, 17 May 98 11:03:10 EDT
TDTers,
Here are a some additional comments -- I only include the events
where I had something to add. The most significant refinements were
already suggested by Charles. The general principle should be to
be inclusinve, to encompass the seminal event and not just one aspect
or consequence thereof. A "seminal event," however, should not be
so inclusive as to reach back into its underluing causes in remote history.
(E.g. A filler piece on the dangers of sailing and the bravery of sailors
centuries ago, should not be judged part of the discovery of LaSalle's
wreckage event.)
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> 39. India Elections
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: India's Parliamentary Elections
> WHERE: India
> WHEN: First Week in March 1998
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: Again, the seminal event is identified in
> this article. India held Parliamentary elections in early
> March, but early indications were that there would continue to be a
> Hung Parliament governing the Country.
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION # 1: According to this rule, at least
> stories about voter issues, campaigns or candidates and
> election results are all on topic. If any issues arise directly from
> the elections (i.e. a protest against winning candidates) those would
> also be related to the topic.
>
> Article: PRI19980303.2000.0432
I would explicitly rule-in actual or speculated outcomes of the election.
> 42. Asteroid Coming??
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: A mile-wide Asteroid discovered headed toward Earth
> WHERE: Outer Space!
> WHEN: 3/98 (early in March)
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: Scientists released the news that in fact,
> the asteroid would pass us by. It is expected in about 30
> years, but it is not expected to hit us.
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION # 7: The stories about the discovery
> AND the follow up are all topic related. Any stories about
> the technology used to track the asteroid, or the folks who did the
> tracking would be on topic.
>
> Article: CNN19980312.2130.0300
Charles> Does the asteriod have a name? Who raised the alarm?
I would also think the "never mind" stories that follow should be
integrally part of this topic.
> 44. Tobacco Company settlement
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: Congressional Proposal for Tobacco Co. Settlement
> WHERE: n/a
> WHEN: Early Spring 1998
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: This article discusses R.J. Reynolds' denial
> that they would pull out of the settlement proceedings.
> The denial was published 4/2/98
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION #3: Stories relevant to this legal proceeding include the documentation indicating that
> tobacco companies were aware of the dangers of smoking, the various
> iterations of the settlement before it went before the court,
> stories about the companies involved in the settlement and any
> ramifications of the final court decision.
>
> Article: PRI19980402.2000.0144
Charles> There are a number of Congressional proposals floating around.
Charles> The best solution might be to define the topic as the activity
Charles> of devising a national settlement (which began when the state
Charles> attorneys general reached their settlement).
This one will be difficult. How about States lawsuits and their
settlements (as in Minnesota recently)? How about the Clinton
administration's proposed cigarette tax hike? How about criticism
of the proposed settlement? How about US budgetary impact of the
payout from the settlement? How about flusing Joe Camel adds (and
other specific provision of the settlement)? I think this is the
single most difficult event to deliniate. We need some systematic
reponses to my questions, such as "Include them all."
> 48. Jonesboro shooting
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: A 11 year old and a 13 year old shot 3 classmates and a teacher
> WHERE: Jonesboro, AR at the school
> WHEN: 3/24/98
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: This is the seminal event. The two boys
> pulled a fire alarm and as students were leaving the school
> they fired guns into the crowd. The boys were heavily armed with guns
> they had stolen from the older one's grandfather. They were
> arrested.
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION #3: The shooting at the school, the
> arrest of the boys, the investigation, and the trial and
> sentencing will all be topic relevant. So will discussions about
> trying these boys as minors or not, the decision about whether or not
> to try for the death penalty and the struggle around the fact that
> the alleged murderers are so young.
>
> Article: ABC19980324.1830.0103
What to do with editorials or political speeches on gun control that make
reference to Jonesboro but are not about the shooting? I would say
label as "brief" even if they dedicate slightly over 10% to this
event.
> 52. Strike in Germany
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: Tens of thousands of public employees go on strike
> WHERE: All over Germany
> WHEN: Started 3/2/98
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: Germany's public employees are striking as a
> warning designed to put pressure on the government
> for higher wages and job security. The strike coincides with public
> employee contract negotiations.
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION #6: Although not quite ongoing
> violence, this disruption to Germany's infrastructure is
> comparable. The topic would expand to include at least stories about
> the strikers, negotiations to get them back to work, the impact
> on German citizens, any retaliatory actions.
>
> Article: VOA19980303.2100.1124
Charles> It might be helpful to annotators to know both the start and the end
Charles> date of the strike.
The interpretation rule is muddy. Leave out ref to vilolence (it's a red
herring). I would include stories on the causes of the strike too.
> 56. James Earl Ray Case
>
> Seminal Event:
> WHAT: Martin Luther King's murder, Ray's arrest
> WHERE: Nashville, TN
> WHEN: MLK was killed April 4, 1968.
>
> RELATED ARTICLE SUMMARY: On Marcy 18, 1998 Ray's lawyer announced
> that he will not pursue a new trial in the case. Ray is
> suffering from liver disease and could not take part in a new
> trial. He is in critical condition in a Nashville prison.
>
> RELATED RULE OF INTERPRETATION #3: Stories about MLK's family
> requesting a new trial, stories about Ray's input from prison,
> stories about Ray's death (which happens in April) are all on topic
> according to this rule.
>
> Article: VOA0318.2300.1376
We need a decision here. Should the seminal event be Ray's arrest 30 years
ago, or the more recent mistrail/new-trial activity? I would vote for
the latter. Then, be inclusive of King's family's involvement, Ray's
health and death, etc. etc. Otherwise it is just not temporally
confined -- and we would need to include article's on clearly
unrelated topics such as Andrew Young's career turns (they were
significantly shaped by King's death) and all kinds of diverse branching
consequences that developed over the past 30 years -- an impossible
task for humans or machines at this juncture.
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Last updated Wed Sep 9 09:40:49 1998