Signal-to-noise ratio
Etymology
A term from electrical engineering and telecommunications, where “signal” is the wanted transmission and “noise” the random interference degrading it. It has broadened into a general metaphor for the ratio of worthwhile content to distraction in anything from a meeting to a social feed.
noun phrase · /SIG-nul too noyz RAY-shee-oh/
The proportion of meaningful information to irrelevant clutter in a message, channel, or body of data.
What it names
The quality that makes a source worth attending to — how much of it is substance versus static.
Example
The forum used to be useful, but as spam piled up, the signal-to-noise ratio collapsed.
Related idea
Signal-to-noise ratio weighs substance against clutter; information overload is the sheer volume overwhelming you regardless of quality, and a filter bubble narrows the signal you are shown in the first place.
See also