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

[Drew, Bill]

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