IBM’s Taxonomies and Comparing Knowledge Systems

I’ve been talking a lot lately about the theory behind controlled vocabularies. Most of my talk has been around the idea that they are not inclusive, don’t allow for change, and aren’t as user-centric as folksonomies, the new kid in town.

However, as two commentors politely pointed out, I’m not really giving controlled vocabularies their due. What I’m really doing is pointing out that controlled vocabularies are really hard to implement, which doesn’t exactly mean that they’re bad, but only that most don’t live up to their potential. I’m now convinced that if they were implemented successfully, with a dedicated team, that some of the issues I’ve brought up aren’t as big a detriment as I’ve painted them.