Assignment 4B

Classification is important because it allows us to differentiate things like different types of animals, foods, objects, and other things. It is particularly helpful when it comes to researching, making it easier to search for a specific piece of information by using what is known as a “tag” to separate items to avoid confusion between vastly different topics. The use of tags are mostly associated with the phenomenon, folksonomy. As Dye states, “The process is simple enough: Users assign a name, or tag, to any image, article, blog, bookmark, or URL.” In essence, a folksonomy is a “home-grown” taxonomy, one where users generate “metadata” to classify things for easier retrieval. The importance of classification is not to be underestimated, seeing as it is used on a daily basis on even the most mundane levels.