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How to Use Categories and Tags for Knowledge Management

#工具/知识管理5
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The article discusses the challenges of knowledge management, particularly focusing on the use of categories and tags. It highlights the confusion that can arise from having too many vague tags, which can lead to cognitive overload. **Categories** are defined as a hierarchical structure where each item belongs to only one category, suggesting that categories should be limited and well-defined. **Tags**, on the other hand, represent a network structure allowing multiple tags for a single item. While tags offer flexibility, they can lead to a "flattening disaster" when managing a large number of notes, making it difficult to maintain an overview and control over the knowledge base. The article advises careful consideration before adding categories and tags, recommending a structured approach to manage content effectively. It suggests using a few broad categories and well-defined tags to avoid confusion and ensure efficient retrieval of information.

Preamble#

When managing knowledge (notes, blogs, bookmarks, literature, etc.), once the number of entries becomes too large, the entire system can appear very chaotic.

A typical problem is having too many tags with unclear meanings, which instead creates a mental burden. For example, "learning" and "learning type," "reading" and "books," actually have the same meaning, leading to multiple synonyms when using tags.

So this article mainly discusses:

  1. What is the difference between classification and tags in knowledge management?
  2. How should classifications and tags be used?

Classification#

An item can only belong to one classification

Classification represents a mutually nested "hierarchical structure," and a piece of knowledge can only belong to one classification.

Therefore, when using classifications, it is recommended: minimize classifications; if classified, there must be boundaries.

Tags#

An item can have multiple tags

Tags represent a mutually connected "network structure," and a piece of knowledge can have multiple tags.

If classification is the horizontal axis, tags are the vertical axis. This allows for more flexible annotation of notes. However, during the use of tags, the following drawbacks are difficult to avoid:

The Flattening Disaster Caused by Massive Notes#

When there are many entries to manage, flattened tags can lead to disastrous consequences, where having or not having tags makes almost no difference.

As notes accumulate, simply using tags can lead to a loss of control over the knowledge base, or a diminished "bird's-eye" view. For example, later you may need to find what you want from 100 tags. Additionally, there may be many notes under the same tag.

Practical Use of Classifications and Tags#

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  1. Classification: Manage larger module content from the horizontal axis perspective; classifications should be few and cover broader themes, such as technical practice/theoretical learning/lifestyle discussions, etc.
  2. Tags: Manage content from the vertical axis perspective; hierarchical tags (xLog only has tags) can also be used for management. When adding tags, the following points should be considered:
    • Think clearly about the purpose of the tags you set, whether for marking or for future classification retrieval.
    • Structure grows organically; first, jot down the content, tags can be added gradually later.
    • Tag wording should be unified, accurate, and representative; the first word that comes to mind when thinking of tagging should be this word.
  3. Practice: Temporarily plan the following classifications and tags:
    • Technical Practice
      • #programming/
      • #debug/
      • #tool/
    • Theoretical Learning
      • #CS/
      • #IC/
    • Lifestyle Discussions
    • Reading Essays
    • Moments of Light and Shadow

In summary, whether it is classifications or tags, think carefully before adding them. If there are no ideas, they can be categorized as unclassified; do not mark them arbitrarily, which could lead to a flattening disaster that is difficult to manage.

PS. This post was classified as Technical Practice, tagged as #tool/knowledge management

Refs#

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