Tag Vocabulary

Tags are used to create heterarchical systems that lets you iterate on retrieval. The tag names are abstractions like categories, projects, or ideas that are encoded on top of a set of items (like notes) to make it easy to find later.

A built-in assumption with tag-based systems is that you will use tags consistently—a tag vocabulary. That’s why tags are much easier to develop individually than as a group. It’s easier to map your way of retrieving information than having others agree on how to collectively retrieve information. Twitter hashtags are the exception, but I would argue these are a form of Schelling points.

See also:

  • org-mode uses projects (hierarchy) and tags (heterarchy) to manage large numbers of tasks
  • My tag vocabulary is used for driving functionality rather than organizing topics