Many times when I add a new item to my delicious account or LibraryThing or to Spout, etc., I have a moment when I pause to think about my tags. I go back-and-forth about adding new tags to items that I know ought to be applied to ones already in my account. With tags I use commonly, I sometimes can't remember my original construction (lower case, upper case, and so on; services vary in how easy it is to check this kind of thing). And there's frequently the temptation to apply unique, virtually one-of-a-kind tags to items. Sometimes I resist this temptation, why create something you're only going to use once, but at other times I know I'll want a label that will give me virtually certain one-click access to the item. So, some days I tag very conservatively, and on others I tag with abandon (hee). But today I've been wondering how much of this is beside the point. Maybe tagging is about the moment and then discovery later? On the other hand, doesn't there need to be some kind of order if you're going to actually find things in the future? Maybe the best idea is to apply and create as many tags as possible for each item to maximize your chances of finding it in some later search? Librarians? I know you're out there.
Originally posted on:
Short-Circuit Signs