Originally a music recommendation service, The Filter is widening its scope
to include films and web videos when it completes the beta stage in May 2008.
Reuters Technology Correspondent Matt Cowan visited Peter Gabriel's Real World
Studios in Box, Engand to hear the vision behind the service.


  With so much to watch, listen to, download and experience - where do you
begin to know what's worth the time and effort?
  That instantly recognizable dilemma was the genesis of a technology tool
called The Filter backed by none other than Peter Gabriel - who once upon a
time was in a rock band called Genesis before making a name for himself as a
solo artist, human rights campaigner and more recently as a digital
entrepreneur.

Peter Gabriel, Investor, The Filter saying:
  "The internet is brilliant in that it brings unlimited information
data to almost anyone, any place, any time.  Freedom of choice, it can be a
burden. If somehow you can get choicemaking assisted, I think that's a very
useful function."

  That desire for intelligent guidance led Gabriel down the road to the
historic city of Bath.  It's here that he met the people working on the
technology that would eventually become The Filter.  Jon Hobley has been
working on the algorithm that now drives the recommendation service for about
five years.

 Jon Hobley, Algorithm Overseer, The Filter
  "It started out as an intelligent search engine.  Google came along
and it became pointless to compete. But the algorithms involved can be very
similar, rather than using key words to find web pages you can use purchase
patterns of material to find material."

  The Filter initially launched in the UK as a downloadable music playlist
creator but it's currently undergoing an overhaul and the public will be able
to see the fruits of those efforts sometime in May.

Reporter asks "how will this iteration of The Filter differ from the
previous version?"

Peter Gabriel, Investor, The Filter saying:
  "It's new and improved.  I think it's a lot better designed.  There
were some good ideas in round one but it's a bit clunky.  We have some new
thinking and we're just beginning to integrate the film side of it."

  To date, Gabriel's Real World Group and Eden Ventures have invested 8 and
a half million dollars in the venture. 

Reporter "how will you judge success?"
Peter Gabriel, Investor, The Filter saying:
"i think a lot of net entities are based on eyeballs on this point so
that's the first physical measure but also finding something people find it is
useful."

  Gabriel says it's his belief the world of unlimited choice means the
curator has become as important as the creator - he'll soon find out how many
people are willing to explore the concept through this innovative technology.

  Matt Cowan, Reuters