[Sigia-l] Findability

[Listera]

Karl Fast wrote:
>Yes, there are two types of metadata.
>The first is manually applied, or imposed.

Third party apps and CSM packages routinely generate metatags
algorithmically.

>The second is derived through some algorithm.

Thus, rather than the manual/algorithm distinction, what may be more useful
is the inherent/external distinction.

As the owner of the data/info you have control over what metadata gets
appended to it. And yet you can add metadata to it till you are blue in the
face and not make one bit of a difference in, for example, how it can be
retrieved via a search engine like Google. Because Google creates *its* own
metadata about *your* item *externally* and away from your control.

In the real world, *context* adds more to "findability" of your data/info
than most other factors. There's a virtual, constantly changing graph of
your data/info within the context of the entire virtual realm: how it's
perceived by the rest of the world and, ultimately, how it's linked to. Your
ability to affect the latter is limited, as is your ability to enhance its
"findability." The "/." effect is perhaps the most glaring example of this.
One purely accidental link and, poof, your servers are down and you don't
want to be "found" no more. :-)

Ziya
Nullius in Verba