#13 Tagging, folksomonies & social bookmarking in Del.icio.us

Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures & blog 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 – Flicker and LibraryThing to name two --that allow users to take advantage of tagging, and in week 3 many of us used the common tag "oulibraries" to create an association between photos that we individually uploaded. This week, in addition to exploring Technorati tagging (see the tags on the right side of the Technorati home page), we want to also take at 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.

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:

• The Del.icio.us help and introduction pages
  

• Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to Del.icio.us


• Several Habits of wildly successful Del.icio.us users

Discovery Exercise:
1. Read the Del.icio.us help and introduction pages to get a good overview of its features.

2. Take a look around Del.icio.us using a Del.icio.us account created for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklinburg County. 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. Here is an example (click on "saved by 245 other people") Can you see the comments added about this bookmark or the tags 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 might even want to explore Del.icio.us’ latest addition, a network badge that you can post on your blog or website to encourage Del/icio.us users to add you to their bookmarks.

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. The “Post to my Del.icio.us” link can be used to add a webpage that you are on to your account (you may need to log in). The “My Del.icio.us” button allows you to view your Del.icio.us account.