Every portal with a big data uses tags to classify informations.
Tags are often replacing the traditional taxonomy and hierarchic architecture.
Why?
Why they're so successful?
Tags are simpler than categories, and they are used especially when contents are complex and have lots of properties. Tags are not rigid, and they can be used in a different way, to represent different features.
Sentio ergo sum
People want to express himself.
An incoming way to use tags is for classify emotion. Emotion, state of mind, moods could be very important for user. These can become an improved “facebook like”, (everyone knows its success) , like a better and different way to express own personal ideas.
A lot of groups in the Facebook network promote, as a joke, “dislike button”. Everyone of us has seen it once in a life.
Do this game can be a real suggestion from the users?
Facebook like button could be more than a simple vote to promote a content. It can be an expression for an emotion about this content. This is the reason why users ask more than the like button. They want the dislike button, and so on.
It can be something like “smile logic”, but It can be applied not for conversation user-to user, but as a mark to contents, in order that users find informations in a way similar to their. The emotional way.
We can combine this user need with the new IA pattern. We can create a new structure of information, we can improve a navigation based on emotions.
More than a like
MYSMARK EXAMPLE
Great example of this use is mysmark, an italian service whereby the user can marks the contents with a lot of moods.
However, this function has too emotions to choose from( more than 20), and the user can get lost in so different ways to represent his state.
Also, the functionality is not embedded in a portal or a Website. Users could apply this classification on any content, by a button on the browser.
New architecture, new search
STEREOMOOD EXAMPLE
Another example of this new trend to mark information is StereoMood, a Website where users can find a playlist for their current mood. This is a great example for the search. Musics are classified by emotions that they can be kindle.
Users insert his mood and find songs to listen. The whole community generates the playlist, so the user can tag songs while he’s listening.
Tag revolution?
NOT A FEATURE, BUT AN EFFECT
This is some kind of a revolution of the generale use of tags. They represent here not a content feature, but an effect.
What will be the next level?