Gnod is a free
website service that uses user-input to construct a vast interconnected
map between various
music artists,
book authors, and
movie titles. Gnod works much the way soft-linking in
Everything2 does; by inputting a list of
bands you enjoy, not only does Gnod strengthen the link between those bands, but also runs a search for
bands with the strongest links between those that you just put forward. Same thing goes for book authors and movies, but replace "
bands" with "
names" and "
titles", respectively.
After inputting your data, Gnod then lists for you, one by one,
bands that it thinks that you'll like. If it's a
band you know, then you can click "
I like it" or "
I don't like it" to more strongly associate or disassociate the artists you entered with that particular band, which is Gnod's way of refining the
database. If you've never heard of it, then click "I don't know it" and, ideally, go and listen to something from that
band. This description applies as well to the authors and movies sections.
As well as running a
search, you can also select a single (band/author/movie) from a
list. Gnod will then open up with a dynamic map displaying your
selection along with 20 or so other (band/author/movie)s that most closely relate to what you picked. The farther away the two are, the less likely you are to
enjoy that particular (band/author/movie), or so it says.
After taking Gnod for a few
test runs, I found it to be extremely accurate. For example, entering in "
Beck", "
Radiohead", and "
Chemical Brothers", turned up the artists
Fatboy Slim,
The Prodigy,
Daft Punk,
Moby,
Crystal Method, and
Air (among others), all of which I actively listen to except
Crystal Method. A quick spin on the Authors search pulled results as
agreeable as the band section.
Unfortunately, Gnod does have a lot of
advertising in it, but most of it is
unobtrusive and none of it comes in popup form, so it is easily ignorable. Easily forgivable, also, considering the
magnitude of the task it is taking on and the level of
success at which it is
managing it.
Gnod: www.gnod.net