I have been wondering for a few days why it is that we are so embroiled in the need to categorise online material. I can only think it is due to its non-tactile nature. When looking at a book, it is easy to see that a) it is a book and b) what the topic is. Why then have I felt compelled to list each post on this site as a case study or article. The distinctions do not matter. Real life (ie. our brains) do not work that way.
Last week I walked into a deli and requested a sandwich. I asked for white bread, margarine and salad. A little sprinkle of pepper as well. I did not ask for:
- a midday meal
- a takeaway meal
- a fresh meal
- a healthy meal (well, apart from the white bread and margarine)
- a natural meal
- a tasty meal
- a cheap meal
All of which are categorisations for my sandwich.
When I suggest topics to you on thought?horizon I am performing the latter. When you search via Google, on keyword terms that mean something to you will find your sandwich.
Here is how the idea works. Google indexes the first 100k of each selected page. That means, not just the keywords for that page are in the Google Database — all the words in the first 100k of your site are in the Google Database. This means that anyone searching on groups of words can bring your page up —even if those words are not your selected keywords.
Take for example the existing thought?horizon. A [Google search](http://www.google.com.au/ search?q=double+loop+learning+knowledge +management&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=) for the keywords “double loop learning knowledge management” put the same article as third on the results list. In fact, “management” is redundant in the search.
So effective today “See also:” keywords will be removed from thought?horizon. The text speaks for itself.