Tagging 101
Northern Voice InternetBootCamp
Vancouver, BC • February 22, 2008

About Me
Gene Smith
Edmonton, AB
← My book... available now!
(But I’ll give one away!)
Book site: http://genesmith.ca

What is tagging?
• Simple and quick way to add metadata [*]
to stuff you’re interested in, like photos,
videos, blog posts and bookmarks.
* keywords that help you search and find things again.

Maybe a demo will help...
• Let’s look at Delicious
• Social bookmarks manager
• One of the first tagging applications
• http://delicious.com

Who Uses Tagging?
• Just about every web application that
deals with information management
• Gmail, Flickr, YouTube
• WordPress, MovableType, Blogger
• Operating Systems (Vista, Mac, OLPC)

Why We Tag
• Ease of Use
• Personal Information Management
• Collaboration and Sharing
• Fun
• Self Expression

nptech, a tag community
• “nptech”
• Created by a group of blogger exploring
linksharing through Del.icio.us
• “I think that the development of this tag is
arguably the single largest reason for the current
(thriving I think) state of what is commonly
called the “nptech community.” - Chris Blow

Social Tagging
• Social Hum
• Object-centered sociality
• Lowered barriers to participation

Photo: http://flickr.com/photos/nicholasjon/105650196/

1 2

Community Community
Article Article
submission submission
Creating ' broadcast' Creating ' broadcast'
content (messageboards) content (messageboards)
Short commenting (eBay
reviews; Friends Reunited)
Votes/polls and tagging
Reading web content, 'sending to a friend'
Reading web content
© BBC 2005
Current steps to participation Possible steps to participation

Getting Started
• Tag your blog posts, photos, bookmarks
• Use your tags to find people with similar
interests & connect with them
• Technorati
• Seed communities with your tags
• “nptech”
• Coordinate tags with others - “nv08”

“When the hype wears down... I think
tagging will have altered the information
landscape in a fundamental way”
- Jon Udell

Another demo...

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