Tag Cloud

Yesterday, I described how tags act as metadata in an image search. Metadata tags can be (and increasing are) associated with any object or concept on the web.

Consider the web site del.icio.us. Due to its name, when I first surfed to del.icio.us, I was concerned that I might encounter images and an endless array of popups which I wouldn't want young children to see. Be honest! When you see that there is a web site called "del.icio.us", what do you think of? Food? Yeah, right! Maybe if someone is wearing the food!

Actually, del.icio.us is a wonderful site where you can store a collection of your favorite links with any choice of associated tags. del.icio.us then tracks all the users that save the same link and all of the tags that are associated with that link. A link's associated tags may be visualized using a "tag cloud". A tag that is used by a large number of users is represented by a larger font.

When you post a new favorite link in del.icio.us, they actually suggest tags to use for that link (if the link has been posted before). This technique helps to build some sense of congruence amongst the users of the community. With del.icio.us, web searches can be made based on how other users have tagged their favorite sites.

This all leads to today's haiku...

lust, gluttony, greed,
sloth, wrath, envy, pride - deadly
sins or great tag cloud?