These readings seemed to follow a natural progression as well....
The wikipedia entry about databases was very interesting. I never really thought about the differences between databases, and what purpose they served. I always just thought about them in the "library" sense: a system used to store and search a large volume of information. While there are many uses for databases, some more complex than others, it seemed to me that the most important part of the database entry, as it concerns librarians and information seekers, is the indexing aspect of a database. The indexing section described in simple terms what it takes to make a working, fully search-able database that can be useful for libraries.
The second reading gave a really good history of metadata. Again, I always thought of metadata as only a "library" term. This article went into great detail about how metadata is used by many professions and how it can be helpful, or confusing because of how many people input their own metadata.
The Dublin Core article kind of tied the three together. As I talked about with indexing, it is important for all information to be easily searchable and accessible. Metadata is required to do this, but a big problem with metadata is the wide variety of terms that are used to make up metadata. Dublin Core seemingly solved this problem by creating a standard set of terms to be used when describing works on the web. Dublin Core is still not perfect, as it requires English to be the standard
The overarching theme of the readings this week seem to deal with how difficult it is to find information based on the way metadata is currently inputted into databases. Maybe Dublin Core can be the savior in this, but maybe something else needs to come along.
Hello Marc,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the feeling about databases in the "library sense," as my thoughts were in that general direction as well until after I finished the article. I knew other databases existed, but my mind never really wrapped around them beyond the academic resources.
One thing I would like to discuss here is your final comment about the overall theme of the weekly reading. You mentioned that it is difficult to find information due to the metadata that is in the system. I don't know if I can agree with you entirely on that note. Performing any search is going to be based upon the keywords you are using; in this way, the metadata you use impacts your search just as much, if not more so, than the metadata tied to what it is you are searching for. My question for you then is this: would it be easier to create a set of standard terms (as per the Dublin Core) and teach these terms to the masses, or make something a bit more adaptable to grow and change over time?
Just a thought, feel free to discuss as you will.
--Anthony
@Anthony--I wonder if it is even possible to teach Dublin Core or some other set of standard terms for creating metadata to the masses. Are the masses even interested in learning these standard terms? I think it will be difficult to get your average internet user to understand the value of standard terms, and that's where the difficulty in searching lies, because people continue to use non-standard terms when applying tags.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you only thought of metadata in Library terms. I think one example of the average person creating and using metadata is adding tags in Flickr. I post a lot of photos there and create tags for every photo to make them more searchable and perhaps more search specific in terms that certain search words can lead people to my photos.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Dublin Core standards are really more for professional uses rather than for the general masses. If not I couldn't imagine a standard ever becoming popular among non-professionals.