The Verdict of the Herd

“Have you ever come across an inaccessible web site and wondered, ‘am I the only one?'”

Such begins the “about” section for Herdict, the latest project to come of age at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society.  Before I continue, full disclosure: I am employed there, with the OpenNet Initiative, and have had a hand in creating written content for the site.  That said, I can claim no part in the idea itself…that goes back to 2006, when Jonathan Zittrain first used the term.  In an e-mail, Zittrain said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about online reputation systems, and the collective judgments of the crowds that teeter between emergent wisdom and mob rule.  I say those judgments are “herdicts” — verdicts from the herd.”

And so Herdict was born.  Of course, over time the idea developed into two projects now known as Herdict PC and Herdict Web.  The latter is set for a January release, and incorporates Zittrain’s ideas on a participatory Net as seen in his book, The Future of the Internet – and How to Stop It.

Herdict Web presents a unique model: Unlike its close relative, the OpenNet Initiative (which views Internet filtering through an academic lens), Herdict allows users to report instances of accessibility or inaccessibility, leaving users – or, the “herd” – to determine what’s going on.

In other words, Herdict users – the herd – download a Firefox add-on or visit the participate section of the site.  They are then directed to a site (based on a list of sites already reported to Herdict).  If they are able to view it, they report it “accessible” – if not, “inaccessible.”  Herd members can also report where they are using the Internet and leave comments.  Herdict automatically determines their ISP and country of residence.

To US-based users, Herdict may seem unimportant.  But to users in many countries which filter the Internet, Herdict provides a central location for users to report instances of inaccessibility.  Therefore, rather than calling a friend, sending an e-mail or posting a message on Facebook, Herdict provides a participatory environment for users interested in, or experiencing, inaccessibility.

We have yet to determine how Herdict’s reports will influence research into the subject of Internet filtering, but are certain that it will.  Rather than testing sites blindly, researchers can use Herdict for clues into where filtering might be occurring. For example, if 1,000 users in Tunisia report YouTube.com as inaccessible, there’s a pretty good chance that its inaccessibility is due to filtering.  On the other hand, if a few stray reports from the United States report YouTube.com inaccessible, the cause is more likely local filters, or perhaps the site is down for a period of time.

Of course the potential effects of Herdict go far beyond research.  Often, the media is quick to report a site as “blocked” upon hearing one or two accounts of inaccessibility.  Herdict presents a quick and easy way to fact-check such a report.  Let’s say the media reports CNN to be filtered in China (as is wont to happen).  By harnessing reports from the herd, one can determine if CNN is filtered across the board, or if perhaps one ISP has taken matters into their own hands.

Yet another potential use of Herdict benefits the herd itself; users are able to report any site as inaccessible (including their own).  Reporting a site adds it to the database; the site is then presented to other users in a list.  Using Herdict, a blogger (for example) can quickly learn whether or not and where his blog is inaccessible.

There are likely myriad more ways in which Herdict will influence the Internet landscape, in terms of crowdsourcing, research, media, and more.  Herdict Web is set for a January 2009 release, with Arabic and Chinese Herdict Web to follow soon after.  For more information, visit Jonathan Zittrain’s blog.