LarryRoth.net

Tagging vs. Categorization

Henning von Vogelsang has written what I felt is a great article about The difference between categories and tags. Besides being a very concise comparison of tags and categories and when to use each, he has a fantastic real world example.

From the article:

Take a simple walk to a clothing store. Maybe you are entering the store with the idea to buy a pair of jeans. Chances are, you will leave the store with a pair of jeans, and a jacket, some socks, briefs, or two plain t-shirts. Why? Because you were surrounded with offerings that were not sorted by category but by association. You were allured by visual suggestions. That is the same like tags can work on a web site. They can draw you into something. Not because you were looking for it, but maybe out of curiosity.

What I like about this section of the article is that it helps me to overcome the idea that tags are simply a flat organizational structure for classifying information. They are indeed that, but when used appropriately can be much more. I must admit, I am often hung up on the fact that tagging can only be as good as the tagger, but isn't the same true about an information architecture? I really like the notion of being inspired by a tag. Can you say the same thing about a categorized list? I can see a lot of situations where tags can not only help to create new information relationships, but also tie in an emotional attraction that quite frankly would be hard to create with an organized, categorized list.

The trick is to find the right tags, which are most universally understood and evoke the correct emotional response. This really makes me wonder where they can fit in the corporate world. For instance, should IBM tag their product page for Websphere application server community edition? Maybe so. It could be a great way to expose people to a lot more of what they have to offer. Having the tag community edition would be one-click to all of their free product offerings. Or java, leading to their expansive knowledge and offerings in that arena. What a great way to make a sticky site!