[Sigia-l] Findability

[Eric Scheid]

On 26/1/03 9:31 AM, "Derek R" <derek at derekrogerson.com> wrote:
>> I'm not impressed... show me a single example of a category-less 'something'
>> that provided for greater 'utility, relevance and pleasure' than a similar
>> category-ed 'something' in the context of IA work

> I have already provided this example -->
> 
> [Napster's] most salient characteristics were multiplicity and
> uncertainty -- yet tending nevertheless to unity. Napster's information
> architecture was *recalcitrant* to proper description, ambiguous, highly
> wrought, apparently disjointed, and even vacant (which is to say,
> seemingly 'about' nothing at all -- meaningless). And to use it was
> identifiably a *passionate* and extremely concentrated act of attention.
> Yes, I said attention. Yes, I said passion. It was a *bona-fide*
> experience.

Strange ... for the [albeit brief] time which I used Napster it was actually
woeful. Sure I could plug in names of unique things (eg. band names or song
names), and it would produce lists, but I could not do searches for "more
like this", nor even "swamp bluegrass from the early 80s", not even
"complete songs, not partial captures leaving off the last 15 seconds".

Others have already identified that simple keyword search works very well
when searching for unique named things (eg. specific books, specific songs),
but simple keyword search is woeful when searching for members of a class
(eg. bluegrass from the early 80s).

Are there category-based alternatives to the search functions of Napster?
Not the download function, or the existence of the extensive inventory,
which are besides the point, but the search capabilities. To be fair, judge
them on their search infrastructure, not the contents of their catalog.

Are there? Indubitably.

Are there websites that provide not only keyword searches but also
categorised or faceted search interfaces? That is, it provides both
approaches in full awareness that sometimes people are searching for
specific named items, and other times they are searching for members of a
class or category. Websites which reject out of hand the false dichotomy
that one approach and only one approach must be adopted, to the exclusion of
others?

Are there? Do I even need to ask?

So lets drop the false dichotomies, the black/white argumentum, the turf
wars (!), shall we? Lets explore the possibilities that Derek's approach
offers, and *add* them into our collective toolbox.

On the other hand if Derek's position only has virtue in the absence of
competitors, by denigrating well proven and useful techniques, unable to
stand on it's own merits ...

e.