Comments on: Tags Suck – Here’s Why

By: Brendon

Brendon — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:19:45 +0000

I hate tags myself.. the only place i like them is in outlook 2007.. for categorizing tasks.

Everywhere else its a PITA since i just don’t tag consistently enough.

Can honestly say i bookmark nothing and just Google for what i want when i want it. It’s heaps faster.. for me at least.

By: Aviva Gabriel

Aviva Gabriel — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:27:19 +0000

When bookmarking, tags are labor-intensive but ultimately, more efficient. The upfront investment of labor pays off in multiples later on, when trying to retrieve information. In comparing (1) bookmarking with folders to (2) bookmarking with tags, I would use this metaphor: the first method (1) results in “flat-file” or “spreadsheet-like” data retrieval; it’s like using an Excel spreadsheet when you really need a a database. The second method (2) results in “relational database” data retrieval; it’s like using Access or Filepro, where the data is far freer to make multiple connections (relationships). Tagging works because most bookmarks rightfully belong in a number of “folder” categories. How many times have you folks found yourselves putting a single webpage into 3 or more “favorites” or “bookmarks” folders, just to ensure that you’ll find the darned thing later even though your memory’s a bit unreliable, and your associations to a webpage or website change on any given day, month, or year? If I’m filing websites that sell Adobe Photoshop, and also have articles and tutorials on them, should I file the bookmark as “Graphics Software,” “Software Vendors,” “Adobe Photoshop,” “Photography Tools,” or even “Web Design” or “Design Tools” if I’m filing pages that include Photoshop as part of an Adobe web & print design suite? And I haven’t even gotten started with all the possible “file folder” terms I might use on any given day… So, in the final analysis, I think tagging adds so much value to one’s bookmarks that it’s worth trying to tap out a few tags. It’s a pain, and I’m often fighting laziness to do it, but overall, the end product justifies the beginning pain!

By: Rol Miller

Rol Miller — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 09:27:18 +0000

"I see some interesting points on both sides here. I have to agree more with Mike, though, as I find tags tend to get in the way. For instance, I like what I can do with tags at my flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/rolman) because it is a great organizing tool, but I am prone not to do a great job at this just because it takes so long. And I think the thing is with tags, that it is better to either use them 100% or not at all.

Hmm. Maybe I am lazy.

ROl"

By: MM

MM — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 10:19:00 +0000

“Never was much for book marker, but I can see what you mean – use on a personal level is useful. Incidentally, that is a more timely and insightful post than you may know.

Thanks for the post Cameron.”"63″

By: Cameron

Cameron — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:08:30 +0000

“Mike! Have to disagree, at least in part. I think tags can be a very useful means of categorizing personal content – del.icio.us is a perfect example. Since I switched to using them for my bookmarks, I've been bookmarking much more often. Why? Because I can find those bookmarks…because I can search by tags that _I_ created. My own personal taxonomy…my own personal language. My browser bookmarks before were a hopeless mess. Even if I tried, as I did occasionally, to categorize them by folder, that's too 1-dimensional – concepts don't fall into perfect buckets…but you can combine tags, group them, etc.

Tagging does get more complex – and potentially less useful – when more than 1 person is involved. People inherently have different meanings in mind for words, different "languages".

I don't know..just some thoughts ”