What determines the structure of a folksonomy and why? The code, the content or the social process?
Firstly, to being with, with a basic Wikipedia explanation of what folksonomy is that it is basically a system of classification derived from the practice and method of collaboratively creating and managing tags to annotate and categorize content; this practice is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging. All in all, folksonomy is an easier way of accessing information, even through a mere keyword. A folksonomy brings life to a network, without network folksonomy wouldn’t exists and vice versa. It is the mere acknowledgement of social processes through popularization. Folksonomy represents information/ knowledge provided by the tagger e.g. in terms of a picture, the content provided is the form of folksonomy. Thus, content and social processing are the basic structure determinant of folksonomy serving its purpose and not the code .
I believe, social processing is a factor that occurs because of folksonomy. Facebook, Twitter, IGoogle and perhaps in some cases even yahoo chats are networks where social processing takes place. Facebook for example is a very popular network that displays pictures, information, interests and many more user approved information. Pictures for example, when tagged if provided by the user display who, what, when, where, why and even how in some cases. This display of information through tags (folksonomy) when viewed by other users is the means of popularizing that specific content. Thus, this increases social processes because of folksonomy and folksonomy because of social processes. Overall, justifying that social process and content are the actual determinants of folksonomy.
A useful way of understanding folksonomy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Q7_ifGpFg&feature=related
Do post a comment and leave your thoughts ! =)
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Hey Mehwish,
ReplyDeleteYour examples upon the usage of folksonomy are very intriguing. Your perspective towards how social processing is the critical aspect of folksonomy was backed up by various concepts. I understand that facebook, twitter, and all those social networking sites apply to folksonomy but what I feel is that, it is not literally the structure of folksonomy. You need to have some other elements such as the content in order to have social processing work, because you can be in a social network group but not be able to socially network with someone. You need to know what you are looking for on a webpage in order to socially network with another person. Content (subject) is very critical in terms of looking for anything in the webpage.
Kasthuri Sivabalan
Yes, social process have a great impact on folksonomy since we are the one who made it, who modified it and who use it. But at the same point, I personally think codes are also important on folksonomy as well. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I like how u posted the youtube link here. It is very useful.
Jason Chau
Kasthuri : i did mention that content is is one of the most important determinants of folksonomy..please re-read the second paragraph for further clarification!
ReplyDeleteJason: I believe that codes are important to an extent, however, the reason why i feel taht social process and content are the MAIN structures of folskonomy is because without them it wouldn't be possible to have folksonomy..codes are important, but not to the extent where i would consider them as the main structure of folksonomy
- Mehwish.Malik