Comments on: Tagsology http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88 Here in the lounge you'll find my subjective, though hopefully useful, reviews of Internet search engines. Enjoy! Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:51:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: tester http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-7191 tester Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:49:18 +0000 /?p=88#comment-7191 Tags are flagrantly abused. Good tagging is altruistic. The altruism that generates useful connections creates tag-term popularity, and once there is popularity associated with a particular term, it's tempting to tag bits with misleading associations. Or worse, personal transitive associations that aren't useful to general users. That said, it's very powerful with particular communities, intranets, etc. My perception is that oversite is needed until that critical mass is hit where individual abusers can't do much damage. But wikipedia has tremendous oversight to maintain quality - but they're volunteers instead of paid guardians. So while the utopian in me loves tagging (I do it a lot), the realist in me is highly skeptical of the things that people do for free. Tags are flagrantly abused. Good tagging is altruistic. The altruism that generates useful connections creates tag-term popularity, and once there is popularity associated with a particular term, it’s tempting to tag bits with misleading associations. Or worse, personal transitive associations that aren’t useful to general users.

That said, it’s very powerful with particular communities, intranets, etc. My perception is that oversite is needed until that critical mass is hit where individual abusers can’t do much damage. But wikipedia has tremendous oversight to maintain quality – but they’re volunteers instead of paid guardians.

So while the utopian in me loves tagging (I do it a lot), the realist in me is highly skeptical of the things that people do for free.

]]> By: Billy M http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-6925 Billy M Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:33:28 +0000 /?p=88#comment-6925 This reminds me of the Semantic Web. You and Tim Berners Lee should get together. http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/ This reminds me of the Semantic Web. You and Tim Berners Lee should get together. http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/

]]> By: EW http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-6920 EW Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:45:45 +0000 /?p=88#comment-6920 I like the main argument presented here, but I'm fuzzy on what easy, practical implementations of what 'light touch' would be. I think the main opportunity of offering tag hints would be on occasions where only a few tags were assigned. Assuming power law, likely most docs have few or no tags so the hints may be welcomed (and used). Even still, I posit that the creation of tags feel 'about right' in terms of what they demand of people who tag (i.e. anything goes), but we need much improved search/navigation behind the scenes. I'd like to see ontologists working more closely with the later effort than say building hinting systems for end users. Doing both well also requires better UI than we have today. I like the main argument presented here, but I’m fuzzy on what easy, practical implementations of what ‘light touch’ would be. I think the main opportunity of offering tag hints would be on occasions where only a few tags were assigned. Assuming power law, likely most docs have few or no tags so the hints may be welcomed (and used). Even still, I posit that the creation of tags feel ‘about right’ in terms of what they demand of people who tag (i.e. anything goes), but we need much improved search/navigation behind the scenes. I’d like to see ontologists working more closely with the later effort than say building hinting systems for end users. Doing both well also requires better UI than we have today.

]]> By: Alice http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-6916 Alice Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:12:01 +0000 /?p=88#comment-6916 I'm fixating on your final thought. You're kind of like Jerry Springer. The idea that every person can carry their personal tagsology with them from site to site is pretty exciting. The books I buy, the searches I make, and the things I write about are all interrelated. Having a web of tags that reflect the way I like to organize my personal library of knowledge could be damn useful. I’m fixating on your final thought. You’re kind of like Jerry Springer. The idea that every person can carry their personal tagsology with them from site to site is pretty exciting. The books I buy, the searches I make, and the things I write about are all interrelated. Having a web of tags that reflect the way I like to organize my personal library of knowledge could be damn useful.

]]> By: Dave Jansik http://www.searchlounge.org/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-6383 Dave Jansik Wed, 08 Mar 2006 03:06:29 +0000 /?p=88#comment-6383 i agree chris. tags can be unruly and often need a little discipline - a bit of structure, if you will - to contribute to society. the tagger usually has no use to think like anyone else and how they may perceive the items in their account. content management systems with natural language processing can certainly flesh out the meanings of saved items and the tags, but people sorting through the other vagueness and misspelled tags will be necessary to really make them pop. i agree chris. tags can be unruly and often need a little discipline – a bit of structure, if you will – to contribute to society. the tagger usually has no use to think like anyone else and how they may perceive the items in their account. content management systems with natural language processing can certainly flesh out the meanings of saved items and the tags, but people sorting through the other vagueness and misspelled tags will be necessary to really make them pop.

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