Author Topic: What kind of tagging system would be appropriate for DC? (Read 87851 times)

CodeTRUCKER · « **on:** January 06, 2008, 01:53 PM »

I would be interested in attempting to explore a tagging system that could make DC more palatable to those who might find some of the raw discussions here an unpleasant experience. I am not attempting to censor what is said, but only to provide sign posts to any that may have a preference to not expose themselves to some questionable verbiage.

Lashiec · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2008, 01:58 PM »

But, weren't we going for a complete tag system? What you're proposing is only restricted to NSFW-kind of posts

CodeTRUCKER · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2008, 02:03 PM »

Maybe, but I felt that a wider perspective should be considered.

Lashiec · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2008, 02:16 PM »

I don't know what Wordzilla has in mind for the system, but I suppose we could have a list of predefined tags for people to choose from, as generic as possible. You'd have to select from a list that appears after you wrote and submitted your post, you highlight all the tags you like for the post, and after another submittal, the post is up on the forum.

Personally, I like a free system, in where you could input as many tags as you like, but it could end up turning into a hell of a system, with people using different tags for the same concepts, thus creating a folksonomy problem. One upside of this method is that we could have a single field after the "Title" field (when you're writing your reply/starting the thread), and use tag after another using a separator. The first system could also be implemented in the page where you write the post, but it's not as cleaner in my opinion, unless we use a little number of predefined tags.

I wonder if both systems could be used together, using a system like the one the Delicious extension for Firefox employs, suggesting tags based on other tags you already created (in this case, predefined tags in the forum).

I hope all this blabbering makes sense...

TucknDar · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2008, 02:32 PM »

As long as I can continue to post and read the forum just like today without any interference, I don't care much how this tagging system would be implemented. I won't be forced to tag a thread I start. I think if tagging is forced in any way, I'd probably just wouldn't bother posting a new thread if I wasn't absolutely sure what to tag it. Not talking about NSFW here, all kinds of tags

Lashiec · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2008, 02:42 PM »

A good addition for people that don't want to take more than steps than necessary when posting in the forum would be scanning words in the message in search for particular ones defined in another list, like say, if your post contains the words "pr0n" and "game", then the system would compare the words against the list, and say "look, "pr0n" corresponds to NSFW, and "game" belongs under fun (or whatever), so I'll tag the post with NSFW and fun". I don't know if such kind of thing is feasible from a technical standpoint, if it will kill the server (Wordzilla is an expert with this

), etc.

Of course, there's the possibility that the system does not find any particular word, so the post will go untagged.

f0dder · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2008, 02:51 PM »

Tagging should be invisible for people who don't feel like drinking the kool-aid.

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:00 PM »

i think tagging should be as unobtrusive and invisible as possible, except when you explicitly need it.
you dont need to see tags when reading posts, and a very small place to optionally fill in tabs on the post form should suffice, with some nice javascript to help you select appropriate tags IF you choose to tag your post.

i really do not want to add any noise to the forum, so i see no reasons to be displaying tags when you browse the forum normally.

maybe where tags can play a more robust roll is if you explicitly want to browse or search by tag labels by going to a special page. the blog system will be moved to use the new tagging system, so that we can blog items by tagging them with specific tags. (because of this it means there have to be some tags that only moderators can set).

id also like to make a way for some users (moderators only?) to be able to list threads that have not yet been tagged and let them easily tag threads in bulk.

Veign · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:08 PM »

Why not build upon an existing tagging mod like:
http://custom.simple...ds/index.php?mod=579

This is a very typical tagging system as found on blogs and it works quite well - I use a system like this for my blog.

Veign · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:11 PM »

Since my forum is a testing ground for me I added the Tag Mod so if you want to check it out:
http://www.veign.com/forum/index.php

You will notice a new 'Tag' tab on the tab menu and a new tag bar at the very bottom of the post.

Lashiec · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM »

As always, my suggestions reinvent the wheel ;D

But, the problem as I said, it's that everyone would use different tags, I believe this could create a problem in the long term... let me see it in your forum :)

EDIT: OK, just as I expected it to be. It's pretty simple, working like most tagging systems used out there, but it works pretty good. Zero-learning curve for those wishing to use it, and it does not get in the way for those who didn't drink the kool-aid ;). Apart from the problem I pinpointed, I'd say we could use this.

nosh · « **Reply #11 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM »

I realise there's more to the tag-project than just safeguarding sensitive eyeballs but how about linking the subject text color to certain tags - for example the NSFW threads could have a dark maroon subject line which would blend in with the black and yet be distinguishable. Maybe we could have visible tags (noise!) on by default but once one knows the color legend it could be switched off...

Curt · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:22 PM »

What kind of tagging system would be appropriate for DC?
-CodeTRUCKER (January 06, 2008, 01:53 PM)

None, of course. Why do you keep on trying to force your weird idea upon the forum?

Veign · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:28 PM »

EDIT: OK, just I expected it to be. It's pretty simple, working like most tagging systems used out there, but it works pretty good. Zero-learning curve for those wishing to use it, and it does not get in the way for those who didn't drink the kool-aid . Apart from the problem I pinpointed, I'd say we could use this.
-Lashiec (January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM)

Pretty standard and as Mouser has pointed out wanting a tagging system that can be used for many things beyond the NSFW (which creating an entire system just for that doesn't make much sense).

A system like this could be built to filter, identify, mark, search or whatever based on tags.

f0dder · « **Reply #14 on:** January 06, 2008, 07:02 PM »

I realise there's more to the tag-project than just safeguarding sensitive eyeballs but how about linking the subject text color to certain tags - for example the NSFW threads could have a dark maroon subject line which would blend in with the black and yet be distinguishable. Maybe we could have visible tags (noise!) on by default but once one knows the color legend it could be switched off...
-nosh (January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM)

Please, not by default. People wanting the kool-aid can go drink it in their personal preferences section

tinjaw · « **Reply #15 on:** January 06, 2008, 07:07 PM »

How about a mashup of SMF with Del.icio.us. I haven't Googled for such a thing yet, but it might exist.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2008, 07:26 PM »

id also like to make a way for some users (moderators only?) to be able to list threads that have not yet been tagged and let them easily tag threads in bulk.
-mouser (January 06, 2008, 03:00 PM)

Can we have an "OH GOD NO!" tag please

Veign · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2008, 07:36 PM »

I think tagging should be on a voluntary basis by the topic starter. The only exception should be given to mouser, since its his website, to add a tag if a topic drifts too far away.

nosh · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2008, 08:06 PM »

I realise there's more to the tag-project than just safeguarding sensitive eyeballs but how about linking the subject text color to certain tags - for example the NSFW threads could have a dark maroon subject line which would blend in with the black and yet be distinguishable. Maybe we could have visible tags (noise!) on by default but once one knows the color legend it could be switched off...
-nosh (January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM)
Please, not by default. People wanting the kool-aid can go drink it in their personal preferences section
-f0dder (January 06, 2008, 07:02 PM)

Fine! I was just worried about some poor child strolling by innocently and clicking *God forbid* on an NSFW link.

f0dder · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2008, 08:08 PM »

I realise there's more to the tag-project than just safeguarding sensitive eyeballs but how about linking the subject text color to certain tags - for example the NSFW threads could have a dark maroon subject line which would blend in with the black and yet be distinguishable. Maybe we could have visible tags (noise!) on by default but once one knows the color legend it could be switched off...
-nosh (January 06, 2008, 03:16 PM)
Please, not by default. People wanting the kool-aid can go drink it in their personal preferences section
-f0dder (January 06, 2008, 07:02 PM)

Fine! I was just worried about some poor child strolling by innocently and clicking *God forbid* on an NSFW link.
-nosh (January 06, 2008, 08:06 PM)

Fortunately we don't have many of those on the forum (and I don't think that would change if a voluntary tagging system as opposed to a forced NSFW system is implemented), and the ones we've had have hardly been anything to lose sleep over (unless you're of the overprotective cotton-cushioning kind). But that's of course my personal POV, having dealt with the Real World^TM from a relatively young age, and not taken supermuch damage from it $:-\$

Lashiec · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2008, 08:21 PM »

Yeah, that's something we haven't decided on yet, although it was briefly discussed in the monster thread. Where do we draw the line? If it was my call, I would not draw a line at all, so...

Should we let the underage members decide?

nosh · « **Reply #21 on:** January 06, 2008, 09:03 PM »

I'd like to propose a "sarcasm" tag, that way I can be sure people got mine.

Lashiec, there's no way to know for certain who's underage anyway (unless mouser starts demanding ID from all new members

) so nothing can be imposed on just a particular group of people even if one tried. I think we should start thinking on lines of categorizing DC's ~~huge~~ HUGE knowledgebase. I'm sure everyone's united in seeing that done well.

Lashiec · « **Reply #22 on:** January 06, 2008, 09:09 PM »

No, it was pertaining the NSFW thing, just to know where do we draw the line. It was one of my quick ideas, this time part serious, part joke, as I know more or less who the underage members here are, and I'm sure they would draw the line significantly higher than we'd expect, after all the youngest ones are only 1 year away to be legally able to drive a car (in the USA, that is).

tinjaw · « **Reply #23 on:** January 07, 2008, 07:24 AM »

Are we talking physical age or mental age? It's important as I may need to disqualify my self.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #24 on:** January 07, 2008, 07:54 AM »

Back in the real world ...

Actually haven't we already got a fairly easy tagging system - when you post a new thread you can select an icon to go with that thread and it appears in the forum list of threads. Would it not be pretty simply just to supply suitable thread icons?

For example if you visit Living Room you see the first few threads looking like this:

Edit: Actually I have just noticed that this seem to be disabled in DC forums but in 'standard SMF forums this option is available. For example posting a new thread in a non-modded SMF installation brings up:

and the drop down menu displays:

I'm sure these categories could easily be modded/extended with appropriate icons.