"The first wave is freedom of choice and the second wave is freedom from choice"

the above lovely quote is reported in Contagious Magazine by computer scientist Bill Joy in conversation with Peter Gabriel.  the artist is launching The Filter - an entertainment portal that aggregates content around your preferences.

users set up a basic profile by rating a selection of genres and artists in music and film - the Filter then provides a range of relevant recommendations, and uses any further selections you make to refine its service further.

add to this the obligatory social networking element that allows you keep tabs of what the coolest of your friends are up to and we have a great example of Andersen's third long tail behaviour.

in a world of plenty, the man who knows whats most relevant for you is king...  The Filter represents the latest with their eyes on the throne.