[Sigia-l] Dublin Core and meta-tag length

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Whitney Quesenbery
| 
| 1. How prevalent is the Dublin Core in use?
| The client is already using DC for their intranet, but is looking for
| figures on how widespread it is for external corporate sites.

I think the client is asking the wrong question. What's the
alternative to Dublin Core supposed to be? If they are being
skeptical, what's their alternative? Dublin Core provides useful (if
thin) definitions for the most basic things one might possibly say
about a document. As such it is very good, if limited. I find it
difficult to see how you would choose something else, without having
to face the same issues and resolve them in pretty much the same way.
 
| 2. Is there a maximum number or total length for meta-tags before the
|    search engines start ignoring the tags?

The internet way is to not have any max lengths. Individual
implementations may well have maximums, but there is no specified
maximum, and most of the fields are in any case restricted by common
sense. (Titles only get so long.)

| We're planning a set of tags to enable the corporate search engine
| to connect multiple "site-lets" and the external SEO folks raised
| this as a flag.

In that case you should feel free to impose your own maximums. Look at
how the search engine works.

-- 
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian         <URL: http://www.ontopia.net >
ISO SC34/WG3, OASIS GeoLang TC        <URL: http://www.garshol.priv.no >