Sunday, March 05, 2006
"data about data" considered harmful!
The classical definition of metadata is what I refer to as the "geek definition" because it includes a nice double entendre with its recursiveness. Unfortunately, this definition is like nails on a chalk board to business managers. Business managers don't want the clever definition... they don't want to know how it is cool to be both metadata about some other data and data at the same time which can have metadata pointing to it which can then be data for more metadata pointing to it, on and on ... until their eyes glaze over. In essence, that is a technically accurate but practically foolish definition. I am working on a better definition and your feedback is welcome.
Here is my initial requirement for a new definition:
Here is my initial requirement for a new definition:
- Clearly distinct from data. Metadata is NOT the same as data and you must clearly differentiate between the two.
Let's begin the work of fixing this mess... and please, hold the cleverness.
Comments:
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Great points!
The part I like about your definition is the use of the word description which denotes the extrinsic nature of metadata. Though too technical, I definitely feel we need to stress that metadata characteristics are extrinsic and data can have characteristics but those are intrinsic.
The part of the definition that I am not crazy about is the comma separated list. Whenever we do lists like that, it always feels like we are leaving stuff out.
Great start though! Thanks...
The part I like about your definition is the use of the word description which denotes the extrinsic nature of metadata. Though too technical, I definitely feel we need to stress that metadata characteristics are extrinsic and data can have characteristics but those are intrinsic.
The part of the definition that I am not crazy about is the comma separated list. Whenever we do lists like that, it always feels like we are leaving stuff out.
Great start though! Thanks...
Another thought, in addition to the word description, the word "context" also clearly denotes the extrinsic nature of metadata. In my opinion, those are the kernel of our new definition...
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