[Digikam-users] Fwd: Re: Controlled vocabulary

[Mark Hayes (Hotmail)]

Martin,

Thanks for the reply.  Maybe I don't really follow - but I see no reason
at all why controlled vocabulary lists can't be in any language that you
choose.  Why would they have to be in English?

I fully understand that 'original' or first-time lists might be created
in English - for many reasons - but still, that shouldn't be any barrier
to having lists in any language that you wanted.  Apart from the actual
need of providing translations (which I admit is never easy anyway) - I
don't see any need for this to stop you having a controlled vocabulary
that matches mine exactly, but happens to be in another native
language.  Why not?  If you're German and would like a list in German,
then OK, go for it.  It makes your life easier, fulfils your needs, and
does what you want.

Forgetting the whole thing about 'English' anyway, don't the same
arguments and advantages of having a controlled vocabulary hold up
whatever language you speak?

I agree though, that you will need to learn any controlled language or
taxonomy.  But still, you'd _hope_ that the advantage of a controlled
vocabulary would be that it might be a more simplified system - by that,
I mean that it really shouldn't make it _harder_ to find the words to
describe what you need, by its very nature, it's supposed to be there to
make it easier, isn't it?

I must confess that I don't sell photos either(!) - but still, if I'm
going to go to the trouble of trying to set up Digikam for me - I am
looking at how I should do this so that it provides the most complete,
future-proof (if possible) solution to being able to find photos at a
later date.  IMHO, the tag system is something that requires a little
thought before you kick it off.  It may not be easy to add a tag later
that then needs adding retro-actively to several thousand photos.  When
would you ever get around to doing that?

So I want to think about it now, canvas people's opinions and try to
find out what is best, what can be done - and how it might be done in
Digikam (if at all).

Thanks for your input.  Maybe I miss your point - but I don't see that
language issues should really pose the problems that you believe. 
Please feel free to explain further or correct me if I mis-understand.

Many thanks.

Anyone else got ideas and comments on this?

Cheers,

Mark.




As already stated in the wikipedia article there are to many ways to
define one thing and wording is not that specific. If it comes to nature
photo it is easy, as all species have their specific name. But there are
many things out there which have different word for the same thing (i.e.
Karneval/Fasching in Germany) or use same words for different things
(like football). And please keep in mind that there are many people out
there speaking "only" native tongue.

So we have different problems
- which language to choose
- how make the wording clear

A clear terminology is a nice thing, but you have to learn them. It is
easy for programming language as there is no other way to go. But I
don't see any chance for photo tagging. I see no reason why I should use
other tags than german. I can read English very well, but my son can't.
Same is true for my mother any many other people around me.

Next problem: what language shall be used for locations (country and
city names). As long as the country/city starts with the same letter you
can sort the data alphabetically and nay find it. But if you don't know
the correct name searching is useless.

To me the main problem is that there are specific terminology terms for
different groups. In mathematic the complex part of a number is usually
marked with an 'i' (sqrt(-1) = 0 + i1) but for all electronic engineers
the little i marks the electric current so they use 'j' instead (at
least in Germany). What is the right terminology to use?

And the last part: what to do with all the photos not matching any
controlled terminology?

I use tags that fit my needs and may be useful for the people around me.
But I must confess that I don't sell photos.

Martin



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