This link has been bookmarked by 175 people . It was first bookmarked on 02 Mar 2006, by Chris Lott.
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Terry DogoritiThe authors consider this kind of classification system as a supplemental tool to organize information and investigate how tags can be used for searching.
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Mike ClarkeA description of the use of folksonomies
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A folksonomy is a type of distributed classification system. It is usually created by a group of individuals, typically the resource users. Users add tags to online items, such as images, videos, bookmarks and text. These tags are then shared and sometimes refined.
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So what exactly are tags? A simple definition would be to say that tags are keywords, category names, or metadata. In essence, a tag is simply a freely chosen set of textual keywords. However, because tags are not created by information specialists, they do not at present follow any ubiquitous formal guidelines. This means that items can be categorised with any word that defines a relationship between the online resource and a concept in the user's mind. Any number of words might be chosen, some of which are obvious representations, others making less sense outside the tag author's context.
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<!-- Abstract or TOC goes here -->
<!-- Story goes next -->1. Introduction
A folksonomy is a type of distributed classification system. It is usually created by a group of individuals, typically the resource users. Users add tags to online items, such as images, videos, bookmarks and text. These tags are then shared and sometimes refined. A general review of social bookmarking tools, one popular use area of folksonomies, was given in the April edition of D-Lib [1]. In the article the authors elaborate on the approach taken by social classification systems and the motivators behind tagging. They write, "...tags are just one kind of metadata and are not a replacement for formal classification systems such as Dublin Core, MODS, etc.... Rather, they are a supplemental means to organise information and order search results."
In this article we look at what makes folksonomies work. We agree with the premise that tags are no replacement for formal systems, but we see this as being the core quality that makes folksonomy tagging so useful. We begin by looking at the issue of "sloppy tags", a problem to which critics of folksonomies are keen to allude, and ask if there are ways the folksonomy community could offset such problems and create systems that are conducive to searching, sorting and classifying. We then go on to question this "tidying up" approach and its underlying assumptions, highlighting issues surrounding removal of low-quality, redundant or nonsense metadata, and the potential risks of tidying too neatly and thereby losing the very openness that has made folksonomies so popular.
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Tania ShekoProbably the major flaw of current folksonomy systems – and the number one gripe
for those happier with more formal classification systems – is that the tagging
terms used in those systems are imprecise. -
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Optimisation of user tag input, to improve their quality for the purposes of later reuse as searchable keywords, would increase the perceived value of the folksonomic tag approach.
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Methods for improving tags
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- using plurals rather than singulars
- using lower case,
- grouping words using an underscore,
- following tag conventions started by others and
- adding synonyms.
To succeed, attempting to improve tag literacy (or tag etiquette) in the folksonomy world involves two processes. Firstly, the community needs to be ready to set rules and agree upon a set of standards for tags. Secondly, users need to be made aware of and agree to follow these rules.
At the moment, although there are no standard guidelines on good tag selection practices, those in the folksonomy community have offered many ideas. Ways in which tags may be improved are presented frequently on blogs and folksonomy discussion sites. In his article on tag literacy, Ulises Ali Mejias suggests a number of tag selection "best practices" [14]. These include:
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Paul BeaufaitD-Lib Magazine - see, in particular, part 4. Improving Tag Literacy
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Cherice MontgomeryUseful article re: data pulled from del.icio.us and Flickr re: tagging
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Mark RabnettStill, possibly the real problem with folksonomies in not their chaotic tags but that they are trying to serve two masters at once; the personal collection, and the collective collection. Is it possible to have the best of both worlds?
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Emma BentonIn this article we look at what makes folksonomies work. We agree with the premise that tags are no replacement for formal systems, but we see this as being the core quality that makes folksonomy tagging so useful.
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Alain MaroisArticle de fonds sur les Folksonomies, structure de classification résultant de l'emploie des tag par une communauté donnée
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Arne van ElkArtikel over de kwaliteit van tags.
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Michael BakerGood article on tagging. Need structure.
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Veronika SmithA folksonomy is a type of distributed classification system. It is usually created by a group of individuals, typically the resource users. Users add tags to online items, such as images, videos, bookmarks and text.
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Bill FreeseA scholarly look at folksonomies, like that bunch of tags over there.
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what makes folksonomies work
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Tony Richardstop 50 tags added by users of delicious
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Ognjen Strpićtags are no replacement for formal systems, but we see this as being the core quality that makes folksonomy tagging so useful (powel laws)
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Popularity of tags decreases very rapidly, the resultant curve falling asymptotically towards y=1, in a characteristic shape (see Figure 1).
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possibly the real problem with folksonomies in not their chaotic tags but that they are trying to serve two masters at once; the personal collection, and the collective collection
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- using plurals rather than singulars
- using lower case,
- grouping words using an underscore,
- following tag conventions started by others and
- adding synonyms.
At the moment, although there are no standard guidelines on good tag selection practices, those in the folksonomy community have offered many ideas. Ways in which tags may be improved are presented frequently on blogs and folksonomy discussion sites. In his article on tag literacy, Ulises Ali Mejias suggests a number of tag selection "best practices" [14]. These include:
Other recommendations from Mejas and others working in this area are that users try to "think specific and general at the same time" and that personal tags are fine as long as more generic tags are also used. The consensus among those in the folksonomy community is that extra tags are always better. Many folksonomies allow users to modify their tags, and there is considerable scope for users to tidy up the entries that they have already created.
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Rudy GarnsIn this article we look at what makes folksonomies work. We agree with the premise that tags are no replacement for formal systems, but we see this as being the core quality that makes folksonomy tagging so useful.
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Aviva GabrielFolksonomic Flaws?...In this article we look at what makes folksonomies work...We begin by looking at the issue of "sloppy tags", a problem to which critics of folksonomies are keen to allude, and ask if there are ways the folksonomy community could offse
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In this article we look at what makes folksonomies work. We agree with the premise that tags are no replacement for formal systems, but we see this as being the core quality that makes folksonomy tagging so useful. We begin by looking at the issue of "sloppy tags", a problem to which critics of folksonomies are keen to allude, and ask if there are ways the folksonomy community could offset such problems and create systems that are conducive to searching, sorting and classifying. We then go on to question this "tidying up" approach and its underlying assumptions, highlighting issues surrounding removal of low-quality, redundant or nonsense metadata, and the potential risks of tidying too neatly and thereby losing the very openness that has made folksonomies so popular.
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