Tagging

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Definition

In the context of Web 2.0, Tagging means sticking keywords to something (a resource link, a web page, a picture, ...)

So called folksonomies are collections of tags.

Usage

Tagging is used in many social software applications.

E.g.

  • to manage one's own digital artifacts and links
  • to allow people to share links (social bookmarking) and artifacts.
  • to link people with same interests
  • to calulate recommendations for a product (e.g. like Amazon does with keywords describing books)

Why does it work

Firstly, it's easy for users. In contrast, filling in metadata forms is time-consuming, boring and difficult.

Second, metadata are ridid and don't work in the real world. An object is not always either of type 1 or type 2, but can be both or in between.

Metrics and visualization techniques can put some "order" into a big "tag soup" (e.g. see tag clouds.

Discussion

  • some people hate metadata (DSchneider does because it's too much work)
  • some people hate tagging (DSchneider does because within large crowds some people may unintentionnally or intentionnally use wrong tags, and because it'is also some work.

Links

Examples

References

  • A cognitive analysis of tagging, (or how the lower cognitive cost of tagging makes it popular)
  • Vuorikari, Riina (2005), Social networking software and e-portfolios foster digitallearning networks, Special Insight Reports, European Schoolnet. HTML
  • Vuorikari, Riina (2005), Innovation Brief: Can personal digital knowledge artefact's managment and social networks enhance learning ? PDF