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SearchPopular stories By np@bsn.com at 2007-01-06 21:52 read more
The Domain You Searched For Is Still Available: On Sale Now! By Edward C. Zimmermann at 2009-11-17 19:08 Domains | Network Solutions | SPAM | read more | add new comment
Google is broken and all the King's horses and all the King's men...Google search (and not just Google's) have more and more become less about quest (finding something one does not know) or inquiry but trend watching. The Web is more and more invisible and replaced by metrics of popularism and politics of a volksempfanger. Searching for the phrase (pulled from a current news article) The social tagging game: tail wagging dog.A critique of social tagging and Web 2.0 semiologyThese days there is hardly a "Web 2.0" application that does not feature "tags" and does not display (somewhere) a variation of "tag cloud" visualizations. "It is a saying among Divines, that Hell is full of good Intentions, and Meanings. Social tagging sets out to recast the whole "problem" of information discovery, search and retrieval into visibility driven not by relevance (whatever that may mean) but social network. Social tagging is not just a special form of meta-information but a strategic game. On the one hand it claims to allow a complete and fully conscious unstructured "cooperative" means to attach well intentioned extra-corporal meaning and their implicit social interconnections to information (including also non-textual multimedia objects) but its also in many ways a voting system. Those that tag by using common words set out to influence its visibility and potential influence. This is not a product of some systematic disruptive behavior— and I'll exclude for now a consideration of spamming or other exploits (which are not necessarily part of the system)— or aboration but precisely the function of tags: associating the commonality of the use of tags with a relevance of those objects so tagged. The rest are disassociated and effectively excluded. This focuses the attention of an anonymous and dispersed public to see less of the whole and be driven to a few more concentrated contributions chosen by "public opinion". What remains and discovered via the sphere of tags is de-contextualized and re-purposed. Latest Storieshttp://leo.bsn.com:11400/?q=pubdate%3e%3d2010-09-08T07:36:02%20pubdate%3c%3 ... 1. In New Video, Chilean Miners Appear in Better ConditionVOA News: Americas Miners appear cleaner - shaved and wearing red shirts, which were sent down to them with other supplies 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Chilean-Miners... | add new comment
2. Fidel Castro Gives Major Public SpeechVOA News: Americas Former Cuban President warned students at University of Havana that world stands at brink of nuclear war 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Fidel-Castro-G... | add new comment
3. Plane Crash in Mexico Kills 2 Lawmakers, 4 OthersVOA News: Americas Legislators belonged to President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Plane-Crash-in... | add new comment
4. Colombia's President Pledges Tough Action Against RebelsVOA News: Americas Juan Manuel Santos vowing to step up predecessor's military crackdown against leftist rebels 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Colombias-Pres... | add new comment
5. Trapped Miners in Chile Get Message of HopeVOA News: Americas 1972 plane crash survivors visit mine to share words of encouragement 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Trapped-Miners... | add new comment
6. 20 Killed in Guatemala MudslidesVOA News: Americas Constant rain over the last week has left hillsides saturated with water 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/14-Killed-in-G... | add new comment
7. Brazilian Economy Grows as Trade With China IncreasesVOA News: Americas Some analysts say growth fueled by increased exports to China, now Brazil's largest trading partner 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Brazils-Econom... | add new comment
8. Tropical Storm Hermine Threatens Texas-Mexico CoastVOA News: Americas People on both sides of border are preparing for a possible meter-high surge of water, heavy winds and torrential rain 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Tropical-Storm... | add new comment
9. US-based Liberians Welcome Delta Airlines Flights to LiberiaVOA News: Americas Liberians say direct flights would reduce long flight hours to Liberia by going through Europe 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Butty-Liberia-... | add new comment
10. Death Toll at 45 in Guatemala MudslidesVOA News: Americas Mudslides triggered by a series of torrential rains have killed at least 45 people and caused half a billion dollars in damage 2010-09-08 12:43 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Guatemalans-Mo... | add new comment
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