constructing meaning is bloody work: make everyone a winner in the taxonomy wars
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Constructing meaning is bloody workMake everyone a winner in the taxonomy wars
Wendy A. F. G. StengelManager of Content Strategy
National Association of REALTORS®@wendywoowho
Flickr: ol1
I PROMISE: You’ll leave knowing…① All taxonomies are political — and that’s a good thing.
② Folksonomy freedom + controlled vocabulary structure = healthy, evolving construction of meaning.
③ Tips for converting skeptical stakeholders.
④ Why sea urchin embryology ended up in a taxonomy & how to keep it out of yours.
⑤ Chocolate is for people in the front rows.
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HOW IS CONTENT STRATEGY LIKE A
RUTABAGA?
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@wendywoowho • #intelcontent
TAXONOMY• controlled vocabulary• may be hierarchical
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@wendywoowho • #intelcontent
TAXON• individual term in a
taxonomy
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Hallmarks of a good taxonomy• Appropriate breadth• Appropriate depth• Accurately describes actual content• Employs the users’ language• Lacks redundancy• Flexible, with room to grow
CaseStudy Education-related association
“We have a taxonomy…”• 987 taxons• Hierarchy 6 levels deep• 20% of taxons have ≤ 1 content item• 38% of taxons have ≤ 5 content items
Content owner confusion• Seafaring > Navigation directs users to Orienteering• Orienteering contains content about Freshman
Orientation programs• Environmental sustainability content is tagged under
Hazards & Safety Concerns• Content owners confuse “principles” and “principals”
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FOX TV
One branch……lots of strange taxons• Ablutions• Biorhythms• Sea urchin embryology
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@wendywoowho • #intelcontent
FOLKSONOMY• uncontrolled vocabulary• “free tagging” by
internal or external usersFlickr: sackton
CaseStudy Trade association blogs
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“We have blogs…”• 20+ blogs• Most tags / blog: 1,500+• Fewest tags / blog: 0• Some favorites:
• Mess• 2010 in beats• I aim to misbehave
Fox promotional photo
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#drones Flickr: unten44
CaseStudy National Association of REALTORS®
@wendywoowho • #intelcontent
FOLKSONOMY-GUIDED TAXONOMY
• a controlled vocabulary informed by ongoing analysis of free tagging & taxon usageFlickr: sackton
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When in doubt,free tag.
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BBC promotional photo
@wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: wendywoowho
@wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: diversey
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@wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: library_of_congress
@wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: library_of_congress
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GOVERNANCE• the care & feeding of
your taxonomy
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Assemble the meaning makers!
! DECLARE merged terms
^ DISCUSS elevating terms
v DEBATE demoting terms
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How often?
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Better content experiences for creators.
Better content experiences for users.
Balance need for freedom with need for control.
Acknowledge the political, embrace the chaotic.
Healthy, evolving construction of meaning.
Taxonomy wars? Everybody wins.(Really.)
? Questions?
Read…
responsivewebdesign.com/toast/
Wendy A. F. G. StengelManager of Content StrategyNational Association of REALTORS®
@wendywoowho
THANK YOU!
Flickr: wendywoowho
…or @SanchoTheCorgi if you prefer...