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Some of the weaknesses of tagging for making content more findable online are also its strengths. With regards to online tagging, Farkas (2007) discusses the differences between folksonomies and taxonomies. Taxonomies are usually created by “large standard-making bodies” (p. 134), utilize controlled vocabulary, and are hierarchical. Folksonomies on the other hand, are created by anyone who chooses to do so, utilize open vocabulary, and are flat (p.134-135). Tagging online typically involves the use of folksonomies.
There are a myriad of terms that people can use to describe something. In using controlled vocabulary, those performing a search will be directed to the appropriate term for their inquiry. However with tagging, and without the use of controlled vocabulary, people are free to use whatever terms they choose, which could potentially lead to difficulties for other individuals who may not use those particular words in their search to find it. Some words also have numerous meanings, and because tags are flat and unable to differentiate between which definition a word pertains to, some search results may result in unrelated and undesirable content to appear. The flip side to all of this is that tagging and folksonomies use terms that are more commonly used among the general population, and therefore has the benefit of power in numbers.
I suppose as with all things, there are both strengths and weaknesses to consider.
Reference:
Farkas, M. G. (2007). Social software in libraries: Building collaboration, communication, and community online. Medford, NJ: Information Today.
I totally agree there are both positives and negatives to the world of folksonomies. I love that anyone can create tags which are meaningful to them, but they might not be to everyone. Since there are so many different words for the same thing (think Farkas uses the example of movies, cinema, and film) it's hard to find all relevant bookmarks for one particular subject. I really like the idea of the bookmarking application suggesting other popular tags and have taken advantage of the feature in delicious. Delicious has also started to give people suggestions for other search term tags which are helpful in ensuring that all information is found. Think overtime if people keep on using social bookmarking you'll start to see certain tag terms winning out and being used more often than others.
ReplyDeleteYour points got me thinking about how it’s interesting that language also changes over time. At any rate, thanks for the comments!
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