Overview of sentiment analysis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentiment_analysis
New York Times article on this upcoming/still forming trend:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/te...ewanted=1&_r=1
The rise of blogs and social networks has fueled a bull market in personal opinion: reviews, ratings, recommendations and other forms of online expression. For computer scientists, this fast-growing mountain of data is opening a tantalizing window onto the collective consciousness of Internet users.
An emerging field known as sentiment analysis is taking shape around one of the computer world?s unexplored frontiers: translating the vagaries of human emotion into hard data.
Sentiment analysis takes random complaints/compliments about products and converts them into usable form for marketers and brand strategists.
One possible application to adult is determining which subniche is in demand or assigning niche specificity to particular performer names or which network is mentioned the most in conversations regarding particular niches. Considering the increasingly competitive and blurred landscape of the post-tube adult entertainment arena, sentiment analysis might empower adult content marketers and content producers to drill down (no pun intended) to a higher level of niche awareness and sensitivity. This might allow them to stay one step ahead of the competition.