Week 5: Information Organization by Database, Metadata

Whenever information needs to be gathered, its earliest form often comes as raw data. Although there are a lot of interesting facts to come across, what is being presented appears as nothing more than a jumble serving no purpose. The situation begins to change with the introduction of the database. The objective behind the database is to order the data in a manner that relates to the information it tries to provide. The facts become a lot more comprehensible via organization, but the database alone is not the only tool capable of accomplishing such a task. Metadata also has the ability to organize data in its own unique way. The data can be managed by the features with which it is associated, i.e. the “content, context, and structure” is serving as the “data about data” that can help get things into better order. One example of metadata being put into good use is Dublin Core Data Model. What the model attempts to achieve is to establish a means that can be universally embraced amongst various professions for categorizing and organizing materials. Although it is still under development, even if the finished product turns out to be far from perfect, it can always serve as a good start in the right direction.

The issues concerning metadata, as well as databases, remind me of a fable attributed to Aesop entitled, “The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey” (Be sure to go to the following link to have a better understanding of what I am explaining: http://mythfolklore.net/aesopica/jacobs/62.htm). When it comes to organizing data, the database needs to be structured in a manner that anyone can comprehend. If it reaches to a situation when one too many people are having difficulty trying to figure out the design, then the database would need to be reconfigured or replaced. The introduction of metadata seemed like the simplified solution that people always wanted to have. However, when the technology was incorporated into the Internet, leading to the creation of the meta-tag, people were quick to express discomfort. Because sites can potentially be labeled, the scenario should be self-explanatory as of why such a reaction had been given. In regards to what the Dublin Core Data Model is trying to accomplish, as much as I want the staff that is developing it to succeed, I still believe the model will be met with a lot of disappointment. As the fable I posted tried to explain: “Please all and you will please none.”