User-based indexing: a leap of faith or a descent into the

abyss?

Charlotte SmithCharlotte Smith

FlickrFlickr

PartyParty

Party?Party?

ComputerComputer

Computer?Computer?

Tags on FlickrTags on Flickr

Uncontrolled (problem of variant spellings, lack of Uncontrolled (problem of variant spellings, lack of equivalent terms, homographs, synonyms etc.)equivalent terms, homographs, synonyms etc.)

UnmediatedUnmediated

Tags used not always informational to allTags used not always informational to all

Relevant retrieval lies in the mind of the image’s Relevant retrieval lies in the mind of the image’s ‘author’‘author’

LibraryThingLibraryThing

LibraryThingLibraryThing

Really useful for organising your own book Really useful for organising your own book lists and browsing for new readslists and browsing for new reads

Again, uncontrolled vocabulary may lead to Again, uncontrolled vocabulary may lead to lack of precisionlack of precision

Each reader conducting a subject analysis, Each reader conducting a subject analysis, resulting in overwhelming tag cloudsresulting in overwhelming tag clouds

‘‘Not read’ tag: blessingNot read’ tag: blessing

‘‘Not read’ tag: curseNot read’ tag: curse

Traditional Subject IndexingTraditional Subject Indexing

Controlled vocabularyControlled vocabulary

Information professional performing subject Information professional performing subject analysisanalysis

Aim of maximum relevant information Aim of maximum relevant information retrievalretrieval

Cultural InterpretationCultural Interpretation

Collaboration between users and information Collaboration between users and information professionalsprofessionals

Utilising user’s specific knowledge to generate Utilising user’s specific knowledge to generate deeper meaningdeeper meaning

Retaining a controlled vocabulary ensures high Retaining a controlled vocabulary ensures high precisionprecision

Catalogue CollaborationsCatalogue Collaborations

User-based indexing existing alongside a User-based indexing existing alongside a controlled vocabulary in the cataloguecontrolled vocabulary in the catalogue

University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

University of Huddersfield – OPAC 2.0University of Huddersfield – OPAC 2.0

University of HuddersfieldUniversity of Huddersfield

Tag: comedyTag: comedy

“In the pre-internet age, T.H. Huxley’s scenario of infinite monkeys empowered with infinite technology seemed more like a mathematical jest than a dystopian vision…Today’s technology hooks all those monkeys up with all those typewriters. Except in our Web 2.0 world, the typewriters aren’t quite typewriters, but rather networked personal computers, and the monkeys aren’t quite monkeys, but rather Internet users. And instead of creating masterpieces, these millions and millions of exuberant monkeys – many with no more talent in the creativearts than our primate cousins – are creating an endless digital forest of mediocrity. For today’s amateur monkeys can use their networked computers to publish everything from uninformed political commentary, to unseemly home videos, to embarrassingly amateurish music, to unreadable poems, reviews, essays, and novels.”

Keen, A. (2007) The cult of the amateur pp. 2-3

ReferencesReferences ReferencesReferences http://www.aadl.orghttp://www.aadl.org http://www.shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.htmlhttp://www.shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html http://www.flickr.comhttp://www.flickr.com http://www.librarything.comhttp://www.librarything.com http://maislin.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.htmlhttp://maislin.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theoremhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem http://webcat.hud.ac.uk/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=cls#focus http://webcat.hud.ac.uk/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=cls#focus http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=37564#645010http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=37564#645010 Karen Marie (‘what are you reading now’ rethinking tags post) June 17 2008Karen Marie (‘what are you reading now’ rethinking tags post) June 17 2008 Foskett, A.C. (1996) Foskett, A.C. (1996) The subject approach to information. The subject approach to information. London: Library London: Library

Association.Association. Keen, A. (2007) Keen, A. (2007) The cult of the Amateur The cult of the Amateur London: Nicholas Brealey PublishingLondon: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Rafferty, Pauline and Hidderly, Rob. (2007) “Flickr and Democratic Indexing: Rafferty, Pauline and Hidderly, Rob. (2007) “Flickr and Democratic Indexing:

Dialogic Approaches to Indexing”, Dialogic Approaches to Indexing”, Aslib Proceedings Aslib Proceedings 59:4 397-410.59:4 397-410.