[Web4lib] del.icio.us tags and bookmarking sites -- WHY DO IT? [heur]

[Carol Bean]

<jaw drops>
Maybe *I'm* missing something!  I keep a del.icio.us feed on firefox and periodically check to see what's been saved.  I can't begin to identify how many of my del.icio.us bookmarks are ones I've picked up from scanning the feeds, that I would probably not have had the patience to find using a search engine.
 
However, I haven't done a lot of searching within del.icio.us, except to find my own bookmarks.   I think it would probably add a whole new dimension to search engines to try to capture this type of resource.  But, hey, that would be cool being able to find my bookmarks and others by googling in the search box in Firefox. : )
 
Carol Bean

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Drew, Bill [mailto:drewwe at MORRISVILLE.EDU] 
	Sent: Mon 5/23/2005 10:13 AM 
	To: web4lib at webjunction.org 
	Cc: 
	Subject: [Web4lib] del.icio.us tags and bookmarking sites -- WHY DO IT? [heur]
	
	

	I posted this to my blog this morning.   I would really like to know
	this stuff but I am having a hard time getting the importance of it from
	what I have read so far.
	
	I may be missing the boat here but I do not really understand the
	significance given by Steven Cohen and others to del.icio.us tags,
	folksonomies, and bookmarking sites. Would someone please explain it to
	me?
	
	Del.icio.us tags and bookmarking sites are not yet reflected in any
	search engines that I know of. Until they are, how will they improve
	peoples ability to find information? I looked at del.icio.us and find it
	of no real value to me. If it is of potential value to me and to our
	students and faculty at Morrisville College, please tell me how in plain
	language.
	
	Why should I care what tags someone puts on my website or blog? Are
	there any scientific studies of how people use tags?
	
	Are tags and bookmarking sites just a passing fad?
	
	Bill Drew
	drewwe at morrisville.edu
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