<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
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Friday, September 26, 2003  

Combining Search, Taxonomy and Classification
http://www.transformmag.com/db_area/archs/2003/09/tfm0309f2_1.shtml

The more complex the enterprise, the greater the need to search among multiple sources. Unfortunately the one- or two-word search used by most people doesn't allow much complexity in the results. The problem with search technology lies in the vagaries of language. Each word can have many meanings, so it's important to categorize or classify our search. Combining taxonomy and classification with search gives users a map of the resources available to them. This kind of taxonomy, classification and search combination is becoming essential for the major search vendors. It also helps because not everybody knows exactly how to search. "Often you want to browse a directory because you're not quite sure how to ask the question," IDC analyst Sue Feldman explains. "Taxonomy gives you a display of information that doesn't require you to put your need into words." Prominent vendors such as Autonomy, Convera, Inxight, Stratity and Verity are among those attempting to bring all the pieces together. Some are also adding visual components to their search technologies. Leading examples use visualization for multidimensional taxonomy navigation and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for understanding complex relationships across information sources. "Having a GUI makes categorization easier," says Tim Bray, co-inventor of XML and a developer of data visualization technology. "When you're looking for your own data on your desktop, you typically don't type in a search string; you know where things are and you click on folders. A GUI makes it easier to find shared information."

posted by Marcus Zillman | 10:39 AM
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