Are you faced with bringing scads of sites with scores of content owners and nearly as many tagging schemes into one unified content ecosystem? In this session, you'll learn how to embrace the chaos, balance the needs for freedom and control, and build better content experiences for your users by creating and caring for a folksonomy-guided taxonomy. Presented at the 2016 IA Summit. #ias16

1. Constructing meaning is bloody work
Make everyone a winner in the taxonomy wars
Wendy A. F. G. Stengel
Manager of Content Strategy
National Association of REALTORS®
@wendywoowho
Flickr: ol1

2. I PROMISE: You’ll leave knowing…
① All taxonomies are political — and that’s a good thing.
② Folksonomy freedom + controlled vocabulary structure =
healthy, evolving construction of meaning.
③ Tips for converting skeptical stakeholders.
④ Why sea urchin embryology ended up in a taxonomy &
how to keep it out of yours.
⑤ Chocolate is for people in the front rows.

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HOW IS CONTENT
STRATEGY LIKE A
RUTABAGA?
Flickr: sackton

8. @wendywoowho • #intelcontent
TAXONOMY
• controlled vocabulary
• may be hierarchical
Flickr: sackton

9. @wendywoowho • #intelcontent
TAXON
• individual term in a
taxonomy
Flickr: sackton

10. Hallmarks of a good taxonomy
• Appropriate breadth
• Appropriate depth
• Accurately describes actual content
• Employs the users’ language
• Lacks redundancy
• Flexible, with room to grow

11. Case
Study Education-related association

12. “We have a taxonomy…”
• 987 taxons
• Hierarchy 6 levels deep
• 20% of taxons have ≤ 1 content item
• 38% of taxons have ≤ 5 content items

13. Content owner confusion
• Seafaring > Navigation directs users to Orienteering
• Orienteering contains content about Freshman
Orientation programs
• Environmental sustainability content is tagged under
Hazards & Safety Concerns
• Content owners confuse “principles” and “principals”
Flickr: wendywoowho

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15. FOX TV

16. One branch…
…lots of strange taxons
• Ablutions
• Biorhythms
• Sea urchin embryology

17. Flickr: georgeparrilla

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25. @wendywoowho • #intelcontent
FOLKSONOMY
• uncontrolled vocabulary
• “free tagging” by
internal or external users
Flickr: sackton

26. Case
Study Trade association blogs

27. Flickr: 10143302@N03

28. “We have blogs…”
• 20+ blogs
• Most tags / blog: 1,500+
• Fewest tags / blog: 0
• Some favorites:
• Mess
• 2010 in beats
• I aim to misbehave

29. Fox promotional photo

30. Flickr: jmv

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34. Flickr: unten44

35. Case
Study National Association of REALTORS®

36. @wendywoowho • #intelcontent
FOLKSONOMY-GUIDED
TAXONOMY
• a controlled vocabulary
informed by ongoing
analysis of free tagging
& taxon usageFlickr: sackton

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When in doubt,
free tag.Flickr: allison_mcdonald

39. Flickr: melindasutton

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BBC promotional photo

41. @wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: wendywoowho

42. @wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: diversey

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44. Flickr: Blaha

45. @wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: library_of_congress

46. @wendywoowho • #intelcontentFlickr: library_of_congress

47. @wendywoowho • #intelcontent
GOVERNANCE
• the care & feeding of
your taxonomy
Flickr: sackton

48. Flickr: gadl

49. Assemble the
meaning makers!

50. ! DECLARE merged terms

51. ^ DISCUSS elevating terms

52. v DEBATE demoting terms

53. Flickr: jdhancock

54. Flickr: davidreber

55. Flickr: posk

56. Better content
experiences for
creators.

57. Better content
experiences for
users.

58. Balance need for
freedom with need
for control.

59. Acknowledge the
political, embrace
the chaotic.

60. Healthy, evolving
construction of
meaning.

61. Taxonomy wars?
Everybody wins.
(Really.)

62. ? Questions?

63. Read…

64. Wendy A. F. G. Stengel
Manager of Content Strategy
National Association of REALTORS®
@wendywoowho
THANK YOU!
Flickr: wendywoowho
…or @SanchoTheCorgi if you prefer...