Ceci n'est pas un sentier

In a long and smart post on tagging, Shelly Powers makes a fair criticism of folksonomies and desire lines:

I once wrote on an ingenous experiment in social-driven architecture, when the architects of a new building planted grass but did not put in sidewalks. Over time, paths were cut into the grass, and these paths were eventually cemented over. The premise behind the effort was that the people would determine the best, and most effective way to approach the building.

However, you don’t see this approach used elsewhere, and it isn’t just because builders are concerned about liability and access of the buildings while the paths are being trampled; it’s also in that these paths may not be optimum for all people. In fact, the paths may be optimum only for a certain segment of the population. For instance, men will more likely create more of an impression in the grass than women because of their heavier weight and stronger shoes; women may not attempt to tred in anything approaching unmarked grass because women’s shoes tend to be high heeled or less sturdy than men’s. Older people will also more likely follow even a hint of a trail over non-trail because it’s just plain easier, which means younger people will also dominate in the trail cutting. Finally, as a whole society frowns on marking paths into unmarked landscape and the ones who are most likely going to cut the path are either earlier comers, who have no choice but to walk on ummarked grass; or people who don’t care, either about society, or about the appearance of the landscape.

Ultimately, in the end you have paths marked by young guys who don’t give a shit.

What could be said of the paths could also be said for the use of tags and folksonomies. Either people will search out and follow existing tag usage, or they’ll go their own way; if their way has enough appeal, they then become the path cutter. The aggregations that result in tags, then, may not arise from a true representation of the people forming these aggregations. In other words, rather than represent a collective intelligence, folksonomies may reflect the tag equivalent of young guys, who don’t give a shit.

I took this picture while hiking in Jasper last summer (it reminded me of a comment I'd left on Peter's Berkeley paths post). It says "This is not a trail. Short cutting causes soil erosion and scarring." I like it as an example of the value of established paths, even when they're inconvenient.