Have categories given way to tagging?
I admit it, I still don’t get tagging. I’m trying, but it just escapes me.
My mind really is one giant outline. It works in a very hierarchical classfication system. This is quite evident if you look at my life. I organize everything through this system, even when there are conflicting classification identifiers present. (To me, it’s an opportunity to to sort, sort, and resort until I can live with the item’s placement.)
I can generally live with the category system offered by most of the weblog services I use, even if i often wish for a subcategory system. Categories mean I can go straight to what I want and find what I’m looking for quickly. It helps keep my often incongruous and chaotic world in order.
I like this.
I think part of the reason tags don’t sit well with me is because they defy that hierarchical structure. Yes, it can be argued that they support and strengthen cross-referencing, but I find that my organizing rarely requires that level of linking. The nebulousness of tagging, in my opinion, encourages people to not be ordered in how they approach their life. This may be fine for some, but it’s really not a “one size fits all” solution.
I’m still trying to be open-minded about tagging, trying to find the compromise that will allow tagging to work for me within my already-working-far-too-well system. I just don’t hold out much hope…
