Thing #13 - Tagging, folksonomies & social bookmarking in del.icio.us

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Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures & posts). Unlike library subject cataloging, which follows a strict set of guidelines (i.e.Library of Congress subject headings), tagging is completely unstructured and freeform, allowing users to create connections between data any way they want.

In the past few weeks, we’ve already explored a few sites – Flickr and LibraryThing to name two --that allow users to take advantage of tagging, and in week 3 many you used a common tag (oclwebthings) to create an association between photos that we individually uploaded. For this Thing, we want to take a look at a popular social bookmarking site called del.icio.us (typed in as http://del.icio.us).

Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks. You can use and add to your favorite internet bookmarks at ANY computer with internet access. Watch the video from Common Craft below:





Many users find that the real power of del.icio.us is in the social network aspect, which allows you to see how other users have tagged similar links and also discover other websites that may be of interest to you. You can think of it as peering into another users’ filing cabinet, but with this powerful bookmarking tool each user's filing cabinet helps to build an expansive knowledge network.

For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at del.icio.us and learn about this popular bookmarking tool.

Discovery Resources:

• Otter Group del.icio.us tutorial (8 min video) - Highly recommended!!!
• Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to del.icio.us (This is an excellent guide to signing up for your own del.icio.us account if you want one)
  
• Check out how other libraries use del.icio.us :
• San Mateo Library's reference links
• Nashville Public Library has it's del.icio.us tag cloud displayed on their teen page
• The College of New Jersey uses del.icio.us in place of traditional subject guides and pathfinders to help students find resources (scroll to bottom of page to see cloud)
• Check out Stafford Branch's version of The Southern Regional Middle School's Summer Reading List (much better than a pdf file!)
  

Discovery Exercise:

1. View the 8 minute del.icio.us tutorial to get a good overview of its features.
2. Take a look around del.icio.us using the OCLwebthings account that was created for this exercise. There's also a tag cloud from our account in the sidebar to the right. Note: In this account you will find lots of resources that have been highlighted or used throughout the course of the Learning 2.0 program.
3. Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags that they used to categorize this reference?
4. Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool.Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?

OPTIONAL: If you’re up to the challenge, create a del.icio.us account for yourself and discover how this useful bookmarking tool can replace your traditional browser bookmark list. You can import your bookmarks from your Favorites list on your pc so you can tag and organize them, and be able to access them from any computer!

Note: If you do setup a del.icio.us account, here’s a quick word about the del.icio.us Buttons. On PCs that have the toolbars locked down, these will install as options in your browser bookmarks. Use the “Post to my del.icio.us” link to add the current webpage to your account (you may need to log in). Use the “My del.icio.us” link to view your online account.

Technorati tags: oclwebthings, tagging, folksonomy, del.icio.us