Pardon the multi-response:
>David Bigwood: "For some things tags only work with large numbers.
... The personal ones do not require the large numbers, social uses
do."
I completely agree. I frequently make that point myself--that a tag is
instatly useful to the tagger--in other contexts. I'm sorry I didn't
specify I was talking about non-personal use.
One caveat: If you don't have large numbers, the personal stuff can
junk up global displays for others. For example, the global tag cloud
on PennTags has a very large tag for
"pfdoctype_newspapers_articles_&_reviews"—all added by one guy. Large
numbers help the strictly personal fade into the background a bit.
LibraryThing also does it by considering both a tags raw use-count and
its *user-count*.
>Large numbers.
If you ask me the answer is two things. The first is aggregating tags
across institutions--a project LibraryThing will be offering soon. The
second is using the big pool that already exists: LibraryThing. Put
LibraryThing's tags into a catalog as a starter set, and you'd get
some interesting new ways to browse your collection. That's our
thinking anyway.
>Social tagging:
This is a big and interesting topic. Here's $.02.
There's a balance between selfish and altruistic, and some gradients
in between, like when a member of a church tags things for the benefit
of a small group. There is also, if not an incentive to tag
altruistically, something of a desire not to appear a fool. I see this
on LT all the time. Everyone's tags are public, so people are
conscious to note that that Ann Coulter book was a gift. Or, take my
brother (please!), who tags his small collection of semi-erotica
"sex!" Wink wink nudge nudge.
But the larger part on all the mentioned services (LT, Delicious,
Flickr) is personal.
>Karen Coyle: "Then I look at something like WorldCat, and it recently
allowing users to add reviews. I don't feel motivated to add reviews
because my single review would be just a drop in the bucket, since
most of the items don't have a review, and many of the items in the
database are of little interest and will NEVER have a review. There
isn't a critical mass of reviews to stimulate me to take part. The
database is just too big and my effort would be lost. This may be how
users feel about tagging in Amazon."
I think you're dead right. Not to go too far afield but here are some
other quick throughts on why WorldCat's reviews have never gone
anywhere:
1. They aren't posted right away; there is an approval process.
2. WorldCat gives detailed directions on how to write your review.
It's patronizing and a turn-off to most visitors. Amazon doesn't do
that; it just sorts by how many people like a review. LibraryThing
even allows people to even post URLs. There is a deep lesson here
about the differences between how library science traditonally thinks
and how search engines and much other new media does: Filter on the
way out, not on the way in.
3. WorldCat doesn't put the reviews—or even a review count—on the main
page for a book. You need to click a tab and—whoops, another reviews
tab with no content! They should get away from the tabs, put a sample
on the front page or at least label the tab like "Reviews (2)."
4. LibraryThing is advantaged by the fact that the books you enter are
mostly ones you've read, so you're "ready" to review it. Both WorldCat
and Amazon suffer from the fact that you go there primary to find new
stuff, not to piddle-paddle over records for stuff you've already
ready. But Amazon overcomes this by remembering and linking to what
you bought and browsed (so you can easily go back and review
something), and by encouraging browsing all over the site. Often, a
recommended link will be to something you've read—and you may decide
to review it.
5. WorldCat feels antiseptic and empty. There could be a million
people there every day and it would still feel this way—like that
scene in 28 Days Later where the streets of London are empty. Amazon
and LibraryThing are constantly reminding you that you are not alone.
Every page is part of a larger social whole.
>Allen Mullen: "Dare to compare - that's what I say. Populate a
library catalog with tags and/or provide social tagging capabilities
to the patrons, then give them the choice between using these
capabilities or using our conventional search capabilities. Then
collect and analyze data, compare and contrast, etc."
Amen. I'd like to see them appearing on the same page, but not intermixed.
Received on Fri Feb 23 2007 - 09:59:03 EST