Comments on: Tags http://www.tamba2.org.uk/T2/2005/03/22/tags/ Eclectic. Sat, 16 Jul 2011 06:53:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Mark http://www.tamba2.org.uk/T2/2005/03/22/tags/comment-page-1/#comment-2542 Mark Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:30:23 +0000 http://www.tamba2.org.uk/T2/archives/2005/03/22/tags/#comment-2542 I agree about the finding of information, but like you say if it is used too loosely then it's usefulness becomes diluted. With regard to the classification, there is a possibility that individuals start to dictate how certain items should be tagged because for the individual it is useful to them. The tagger may not have been planning to use that tag so they are being asked to use (and peer pressure applies even on the net) additional tags which just adds to the tags, and once one person asks, it escalates. I can foresee that soon, despite the fact that it appears to be a 'tool for the people', there will be moans and groans that so many people "just didn't get it" which is why is is failing / failed. Then again, it's a toy I guess :) I agree about the finding of information, but like you say if it is used too loosely then it’s usefulness becomes diluted.
With regard to the classification, there is a possibility that individuals start to dictate how certain items should be tagged because for the individual it is useful to them. The tagger may not have been planning to use that tag so they are being asked to use (and peer pressure applies even on the net) additional tags which just adds to the tags, and once one person asks, it escalates.

I can foresee that soon, despite the fact that it appears to be a ‘tool for the people’, there will be moans and groans that so many people “just didn’t get it” which is why is is failing / failed.

Then again, it’s a toy I guess :)

]]> By: Gordon http://www.tamba2.org.uk/T2/2005/03/22/tags/comment-page-1/#comment-2533 Gordon Wed, 23 Mar 2005 10:00:57 +0000 http://www.tamba2.org.uk/T2/archives/2005/03/22/tags/#comment-2533 I think of tagging like a book's index. It is very possible to overdo it but creating a good index is a skill (a profession no less). Tags can be good if used consistently, I think common sense should prevail in these instances but, of course, I make the general assumption that most people have a degree of common sense despite the startling amount of evidence to the contrary. Not sure how tagging is "stopping the spontaneity and diversity in some way" as the tags are a navigation method and not subject to the same scrutiny as your writing will be. Nor am I sure that the people advocating tagging want everything in "neat little boxes", folksonomies by their very nature (which tagging is a sub-part of) are not 'neat' and instead are focussed on how people classify the world around them. However I do think a lot of bloggers are falling back on tagging through laziness. I'm a big fan attribution, but a lot of people are now just throwing in some, for example, Technorati tags which isn't good enough - not to mention COMPLETELY different. I'll stop now. Summary: Tagging is not and should not be restrictive. The entire point is to help you find information the way YOU want it, not by some scheme cooked up by an individual and enforced on the 'community'. I think of tagging like a book’s index. It is very possible to overdo it but creating a good index is a skill (a profession no less). Tags can be good if used consistently, I think common sense should prevail in these instances but, of course, I make the general assumption that most people have a degree of common sense despite the startling amount of evidence to the contrary.

Not sure how tagging is “stopping the spontaneity and diversity in some way” as the tags are a navigation method and not subject to the same scrutiny as your writing will be. Nor am I sure that the people advocating tagging want everything in “neat little boxes”, folksonomies by their very nature (which tagging is a sub-part of) are not ‘neat’ and instead are focussed on how people classify the world around them.

However I do think a lot of bloggers are falling back on tagging through laziness. I’m a big fan attribution, but a lot of people are now just throwing in some, for example, Technorati tags which isn’t good enough – not to mention COMPLETELY different.

I’ll stop now.

Summary: Tagging is not and should not be restrictive. The entire point is to help you find information the way YOU want it, not by some scheme cooked up by an individual and enforced on the ‘community’.

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