Exploring multidimensional tagging frameworks

Scott Parsons

Tagging is a tool which has tremendous potential for data organisation, but the lack of inbuilt structure can also end up creating a chaotic pool of data which is difficult for people to process. This talk explores how adding multidimensionality to the user tagged data can enhance the usefulness and usability of tagging systems through;

  • Problems with scale and weighted lists
  • Issues surrounding Homonyms and synonyms
  • Organic vs artificial structure
  • Mass categorisations and cultural differences

This presentation will discuss these issues and suggest a few practical starting points for using multidimensional tagging in real projects.

Scott ParsonsScott Parsons is an experienced user experience and web design professional who has worked in NZ, UK and Australia for many media and advertising companies. He specialises in usability and user centered design, while keeping up with future trends and web design techniques.

3 Responses to “Exploring multidimensional tagging frameworks”

  1. Who let the dogs out — IAs getting together at Oz-IA 2007 « Matt’s Musings says:
    September 4th, 2007 at 2:55 pm

    [...] Exploring multidimensional tagging frameworks - Scott Parsons [...]

  2. SitePoint Blogs » Four events to keep you learning says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 1:24 am

    [...] there are also presentations on related topics as diverse asEthics, Analysing quantitative data and Multidimensional tagging frameworks. While OZ-IA is new on the scene, it seems to have really strong local support and is jam-packed [...]

  3. Man with no blog : » OZIA - Day Two, The Morning After - Gary Barber says:
    September 23rd, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    [...] Scott Parsons shoots from the start with the problems with tags, tag soup, different definitions, synonyms, language and culture bias. Tagging is only usable for popularity. But then again within the tag for minority social groups are finding their own grouping. People are considering limitation of tagging with central control. Flickr has started to use clusters. Use a auto suggest system. Or tagging within content, always need an user overide. Allow the user to say NOT tag, its not this object. Tagging frameworks have potential. Tags have to be easy to use, create and edit. Scott has a lot of good point with this and it spurred a passionate debate. There bit and pieces that are start of user generated recommendations. This really comes down at the degree of separation being extended and number crunching for the the search formula. [...]