Scoble says that Technorati just turned on a new feature that sorts keyword searches by authority (e.g. in-bound links). This triggers the philosophical side of Steve. Just what IS authority?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, authority is:
a) the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience
Hmmm, Technorati link counts don't let me boss anybody around.
b) a person or organization having power or control in a particular, typically political or administrative, sphere
Hmmm, nothing about links here.
c) the power to influence others, esp. because of one's commanding manner or one's recognized knowledge about something
Hmmm, links sometimes mean someone is knowledgeable about a subject, but not always. Blogs cover many subjects.
So, I am going to argue that links - be they Google or Technorati - have turned the entire concept of authority into something rather trivial - popularity. Does this mean Britney Spears is an authority too just because she's popular?
Yet, in a Google society links convey authority in our mind. Honestly, links are temporary. Authority to me sounds more permanent. This connotes that Boing Boing's the most authoritative site on the Web, according to Technorati. Sure, it's an awesome blog, but can you tell me what they're an authority about?
Semantics, you say? Perhaps. But you can't argue that we now measure relevance in links. And that feels strange to me.
Technorati Tags: Google, Technorati
