Journal jZnat's Journal: The joy of Slashdot Tags 1
Now that Slashdot's Tags [Beta] has been in use for a couple months, I'd like to review its success so far. Tags are only available to subscribers (and random others apparently), but I'd assume it will become a standard feature sometime in the future.
To those not in with Web 2.0 yet, tagging is essentially a community-driven effort to categorise websites, articles, links, etc., into simple words known as tags. The craze appears to have become popular due to del.icio.us social bookmarking, but I may be wrong; who cares. Anyhow, Slashdot, in some odd attempt to support Ajax and Web 2.0, has begun to incorporate new Ajaxy and Web 2.0-esque features such as the aforementioned article tagging system, bookmarks, an Ajax configurable sections selector (click the Sections link on the left bar; you'll see what I mean), and an indefinite amount of future beta Web 2.0 goodness. Being a strict web developer myself, I tend to look at nonsensical Ajax and many other aspects of Web 2.0 in a very negative manner. However, I let it slide when it comes to Slashdot because I can still browse it without JavaScript if I wish to do so, and the tags system tends to produce humourous results.
What's enjoyable about tags? Some common trends I've noticed include tagging articles as "whocares" (sometimes followed up with an "icare" tag), "boring", "evil", "stupid", "dupe", "typo", "troll", "slashvertisement", and a few other easily identifiable words that help weed out articles one might not want to read. Of course, this also helps weed out the need to post "OMFG DUPE!!1" or "FUXING TYOPS!!1" comments, thus allowing people like myself to continue browsing Slashdot at +1 (alert the internets!!) without worrying about excess crap.
So, with the social tagging extraordinaire accomplished, what will Slashdot do next in the name of Web 2.01? Who knows but those who bother to participate in the Slash mailing lists (check the sf.net project).
Buy why can't you tag journal entries? (Score:2)