Tag, Your [sic] Probably Not an Idiot.

This is what I keep in mind when tagging:

1. Search Engines: I think everyone who's reading this knows how effective search engines work and the importance of correct key wording both by users and web-authors.

2. Encouraging contributors. Obviously it's nice when someone cares enough to add a tag to your diary etc. It's also an effective way to suggest things or to show that you actually followed some of the links in the diary.

3. Urgent, Top Priority, community-coined words etc: It's a way to efficiently and independently hold Daily Kos together. Let's be honest, we've all had our differences in the past. I think at one point I posted something about Clark being responsible for Waco...then linked to the Weekly Standard World Net Daily: boy did I lose my "preferred user" status quick, lol. But anyways, we've been here from the beginning. We don't need to see whether a post was written by Armando or Kos: we can tell just by reading it. We know Kos isn't some paid Republican Operative or some other bullshit started by some 3-day redstate "member."

There should be little reason to purposefully create community-coined terms: enough will be made through common mistakes. Don't be afraid to tag the front page, but keep in mind only that user and Kos trusted users can edit what tags you've added.

4. Now to the tagging itself: so when creating tags it's best to keep in mind that they're most effective in being linked to by other people in a way that allows you to follow a specific subject. For example, tagging all things to do with Halliburton/Iraq/Abramof/Katrina/Dick Cheney under the tag 'Contracts' allows us to link like so: Contracts: It's a great way for those of us who know how to use Daily Kos to get reliable information in a timely manner.

•  off topic

  Everytime I see your ID, I think right-lies (long e), which sounds like a band.

  by cracklins on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:08:40 PM PDT

•  what the fuck are you talking about ???

  Don't be afraid to post to the front page, but keep in mind only that user and Kos can edit what tags you add.

  uh, unless you are a "front pager", you CAN'T post to the front page

  and any trusted user can edit the tags on a front page article (I've added and edited tags on Armando's posts)

  your efforts and enthusiasm are appreciated, but your knowledge is suspect

  by knowthings on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:33:32 PM PDT

  •  Armando

    is creative in his use of tags.

    by DCDemocrat on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:37:54 PM PDT

    •  and I'm mean enough to change Armando's tags

      I kinda signed on as a supporter of "Tags"

      as I see it, tags can serve as a partner to the improved search capabilities proposed by jotter

      I just don't understand how this diary addresses that debate, or serves any purpose except to mislead and confuse people

      by knowthings on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:45:34 PM PDT

      •  I edit Kos's tags

        Sometimes, he deviates from the norm in a manner that makes me think he is taunting tag editors.

        by DCDemocrat on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:54:46 PM PDT

  •  did anyone ever tell you

    that you swear too much?  why i'm going to write your mother right now and pre-order some Dove soap to wash your mouth out when you go home for the holidays.

    by therightlies on Fri Dec 09, 2005 at 09:10:55 AM PDT

•  Actually,

  a little care in tagging is important.  Early on, the community decided to call the thief of Florida 2000, "George W. Bush."  That is the correct tag not because it is some supreme truth but because it was the early consensus.

  It is not: Bush, George Bush, George W Bush.

  There are parallels all over the tags.  "John Murtha, not "Murtha" or "Jack Murtha."

  I have seen people tag things with things like, "anti-Bush."  I mean, give me a break.  Is that a meaningful tag on daily kos; "pro-Bush" might be, but virtually every diary written here is "anti-Bush."  

  Someone started editorializing, "Iraq Quagmire," and mispelled, "quagmire," 24 times before they wearied of the enterprise.  "Iraq" is sufficient.  We know it's a quagmire.

  by DCDemocrat on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:37:16 PM PDT

  •  thanks...

    I didn't know this.

    by therightlies on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 09:46:51 PM PDT

•  A very common one

  you see over and over is people forgetting to put commas between entries: Iraq Bush Congress. That creates one big unique worthless tag. Encourage everyone to read the rules.

  by melvin on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:42:07 PM PDT

  •  why do they use "DailyKOS"

    what kind of catagory is that ???

    by knowthings on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 12:52:41 PM PDT

•  65026...

  49281 here.  You are now properly filed in the "Tags" tag.  If you go to the FAQ and scroll alllll the way to the bottom you will find diaries by kos, including the seminal Tagging Tips as well as Diaries about Tags of which you are now a proud member.

  Anyone can add a tag, even to a post by kos or Armando.  Front page, diary- doesn't matter.  'Trusted Users' can delete and change tags and again, all the animals are equal in this part of the farm.

  Kos spells al Jeezera 2 ways, with hyphen and without.  The Tag now has no hyphen because that was the earliest citation AND because that puts it higher in the alphabetized list.

  If the author notices, and is interested enough, they too have full and anonymous tag editing privileges.  So you can change your stuff back if you disagree.

  The important thing to remember is that tags are not poetry, polls are.  Tags are intended to help people find things, be kind to your fellow users.

  by ek hornbeck on Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 02:50:09 PM PDT