[Wikipedia-l] RE: [Wikitech-l] I never metadata I didn't like

[The Cunctator]

> From: Magnus Manske
> 
> The Cunctator wrote:
> 
> >Please, please do not turn on this feature. Human-inserted metadata
is
> >basically unwiki. There are better approaches to dealing with the
> >problem of categorization/computer comprehension of data. The right
> >approaches act like magic.
> >
> Would be great to have one of those. But, AFAIK, there's no way to
> implement a category scheme purely by code. That mean, there *has* to
be
> some interface for humans changing categories around.

I didn't say we should implement a category scheme purely by code. I can
think of several better methods to providing the utility of categories
than inserting hidden metadata tags.

I should have more time in the coming weeks to make some explicit
suggestions--that is, mock up examples, etc. 

I think that having a categorization project (a la dmoz for Wikipedia)
would be a fine idea, as long as the work, and the data, are separate
from the root Wikipedia. 

In fact, the best thing would be to work on developing ways for outside
projects to hook easily into the Wikipedia content without having to be
a Bomis-hosted project, prolly by having an XML hook.

If we did so, I could imagine a group at the MIT Media Lab or the Cyc
project figuring out some bad-ass way of navigating Wikipedia content,
etc.

> And since when is editing an article unwiki? :-)

Adding hidden content is unwiki.

What I'd like to see is an explicit wiki-statement of what is the
desired functionality--that is, what is the utility missing--that a
category scheme would provide. 

Then we can discuss particular implementations separately--for example,
is it better to use a system which has a single ontology or a system
which allows for dynamic ontologies?