Tag management

[gwiet]

Tag management

Tags are very useful to identify and/or crosslink content. However I think that as implemented in Share right now it has several issues:
1.   It is to easy to define new tags: almost anyone on any peace of content can do it resulting in uncontrollable growth of the global tag-store
2.   There is no tool to remove or disable tags from the global tag-store
3.   There is no tool to define site specific tag subsets from the global tag-store
4.   There are 2 UI for selection of tags by site-users, none of which is OK (see 5,6)
5.   In  “Edit Metadata” site_users select tags from the global tag-store rather then from a site-specific tag-subset, or they define new tags (see 1)
6.   In other types of content, e.g. blog or wiki site_users select from “most popular tags on this site” which is not equivalent to a predefined site specific set, or they simply define new tags (see 1)

Unfortunately I do not have the technical skills to develop the necessary improvements, but my ideas for User- and Functional requirements are as follows:

User requirement:
1.   Have a tool available to define and manage global as well as site-specific tags;
2.   For the global tags it should be possible to: define new tags, delete tags or disable tags
3.   Site specific tags can be deduced and saved as subsets of the global set.
4.   Usage of this tool is for site managers only
5.   Site-users have only a single UI for selecting and adding tags to content
6.   In a site the UI for selection and adding tags to content shows only the site-specific subset of tags
7.   Site-users cannot define new tags

Functional requirement to improve tag management and usage
1.   Admin Console: add a tool to manage the global tag-store and to populate a site specific subset of tags. Functions for this tool are: 1.define new tags (in global tag-store), 2. delete or 3. disable tags, 4. move tags to and from a site specific set, 5. save subset for subsequent usage. As UI a modified Tag Select screen from the Edit Metadata screen seems OK.
2.   Edit Metadata: provide a slightly trimmed down Tag Select screen: 1. disable or better remove the define-new-tag field, 2.display to the site-user only the site specific subset of tags. Other functionality as before.
3.   Wiki, blog and comparable content: exchange present UI for the one mentioned  above (see 2.)

I really hope someone will pick this up,

[mikeh]

There are some good suggestions here - please raise them as a JIRA Enhancement request, otherwise they might get lost in the forums.

Having said that, your requirement that "Site-users cannot define new tags" will be deeply unpopular. Categories are defined this way; only the admin user can modify the list of categories… I can only guess at how many bugs & enhancement requests we've received to enable all users to modify the Categories! (The answer, by the way, is to alter the permissions on the root category node.) Tags are deliberately meant to be freeform, which is why anyone with edit permissions within a Site can create them.

Thanks,
Mike

[maps]

Hello,

We published a new alfresco share module that could enhance the Tag management functionality in Alfresco share.

Main Alfresco-Share Tag Management features :

    Browsing all tags in the repository
    Browsing related tagged contents/folders
    Editing existing tags
    Correct spelling mistakes in tags labels
    Substitute similar tags
    Deleting tags
    Searching tag.

A full description of the module is provided at: http://iptechinside.com/labs/projects/show/tag-manager-alfresco

You can try the module and post your remarks. Any contribution will be apreciated.

[mikeh]

This is an excellent contribution - many thanks. I'll take a look at this next week and may be in contact with you soon after.

Thanks,
Mike

[michaelc]

Having said that, your requirement that "Site-users cannot define new tags" will be deeply unpopular.
Mike

  Seems to me it should be a site specific option. You could create a group that can define tags and if you want everyone could be in this group.

  For me tags are the item that I get beat up on most.
  I will need to check out the enhancements in the user extension - thanks

  Give me one more excuse to make that 3.4.2 upgrade soon

[pitzalis]

I'm trying the Tag Management Console for Alfresco Share suggested by "maps". I would like to report that the dashlet configuration doesn't works if the client debug in share-config-custom.xml is enabled:

   <config replace="true">
      <flags>
         <!–
         Developer debugging setting to turn on DEBUG mode for client scripts in the browser
         –>
         <client-debug>true</client-debug>
         ……
         ……

      </flags>
      ……
      ……
‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Bye,
  GP

[maps]

Hello pitzalis,

We tested both configurations (debug enabled/disabled), the Tag Management Console for Alfresco Share worked as expected.

Please check that tag-management.js exists in Install_Dir\tomcat\webapps\share\components\console.

Could you post also the error message generated to troubleshoot the issue.

Thanks,

[pitzalis]

Hi,
issue resolved, it was only a configuration problem of my installation.
Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for the useful extension.

GP

[goldmar]

Wow, this extension looks very promising - I'll test it out! Thanks for the contribution

@MikeH
Actually we've been looking out for a category-like feature in Alfresco Share but as far as I can see this is only possible via the repository view - am I right?

[srinivasmurty]

I agree with the original poster. One of the fundamental problems is that tags are globally available across all sites. This breaks all site privacy rules because I might use tags that have a specific meaning for a "private" site. However, these tags are available across all sites. In a given scenario, I have a set of customer-specific tags for a private site for this customer. I am also working with one of their competitors for whom we maintain a separate private site. However, members of either site are able to view the tags created by everyone else. Some tags can simply not be shared and this, to my mind, violates the privacy of these sites. It also makes tags highly restrictive and I would end up having to use very generic names. Given that Alfresco Share does not prevent users from creating tags (which is a good thing, according to me!), there is no way I can restrict tag creation that is sensitive and confidential.