Concept 6

6. Reading the difference between 'surface' metadata and 'implied' metadata

Metadata, in the context of email, is the generic term for the descriptive data contained in the header of the message that tells us who the email is address to; who the email comes from; what is the email's subject; who else is receiving copies of the email; the urgency which the sender has ascribed to the message; the time the email was sent; and (as supplied by your own interaction with the message once arrived) has it been read and has it been replied to. Metadata is, technically 'data about data'. It is the information which tells us the import and content of other information (you will learn more about metadata throughout your studies).
Effective electronic communication depends on metadata; but, from a user's point of view, the 'surface' metadata (what is actually 'there' in the header) needs to be read in light of the content of the message to see if it is reallyas it should be. For example, a message send to my email address may not actually be to 'me'. Perhaps the person believes I am, for example, the technical support officer in my department (whereas I am the academic coordinator of Internet Studies). The content of the message will make that clear and I will need to respond accordingly.
While the header contains the 'surface' metadata, understanding email messages may require you to interpret the implied, hidden metadata cued into the body of email messages.
While email messages need certain key elements of metadata to make them sendable, and also routinely contain other key elements to make them useable, many websites do no really have good metadata and, with the URL, no-one needs that data. Furthermore, URLs are, rarely, much help as metadata in themselves, unless the site is carefully constructed in such a way as to make the URL communicate to you as well as to the computer. However, as you can see by looking at the metadata in websites, it is important for the proper functioning of search engines and other finding tools.
Conceptually, we are seeing the use of metadata in information services change from being a tightly controlled, ‘professional’ activity (ie a classifying system used by librarians, such as Dewey Decimal, MARC etc) to being an activity completely entwined with the many, diverse processes of everyday, social life. Hence, marketeers carefully think about the metadata they can place in a site so as to attract an audience; pornographers try to make their sites ‘available’ to as many different kinds of search engine requests as they can get away with; even non-commercial sites use metadata to attact people. Thus, rather than being data that describes the data, metadata is slowly becoming (at least in part), data that tries to predict and attract certain types of users.

There is a finite amount of meaningful marketing metadata available. It is getting harder and harder to get original and relevant urls. Even personalised numberplates have re-emerged using 3 for 'e' and colour variations to try to get some more life out the finite scope of 6 letter words.

There is also a cultural aspect to metadata being used world-wide. When I ftp'ed a person in the miidle east, the URL was 'enduringlife'. And this was an advertising agency. So url styles vary around the world. This name would put me in doubt-mode and I would probably not open an email like that unless I knew who it was from.

It is interesting that the URLs are ultimately a number when they are hatched. I was often intigued about how language was actually filed. No problem for meaning but duplications and variations is a problem. And the more names which are created the less their meaning is accurate. So many times I have to settle on a password or user name which is a couple of steps removed what I actually intended. This also adds to the hit and miss perception of the internet.

A great web-site which I have kept an eye on for the last 10 years is http://www.thebranflakes.com/. If you key in http://www.branflake.com/ it defaults to some other url. I actually found it 10 years ago and I haven't thought about it again until now.
The Branflakes are a band. They make amazing music out of found music. They piece all this old stuff together and make something truly original.

I emailed them to find out what they have done with their nifty web 'danger button'....

Hi Joanne,

I do recall you asking about the song. That was years ago and our site has most certainly gone through many transformations. Our Danger area is still active, but hidden. It's accessible from our about page in our bio, http://www.thebranflakes.com/about.html and located here, http://www.thebranflakes.com/danger/index.html

A lot of the content has changed in that from 1997-2000 the website had side projects that Mildred and I were doing, but since 2000 we sort of turned the site into just a place for the band and other projects went over to http://www.happityme.com/ and http://www.otisfodder.com/ and http://www.libsci.com/

Very nice to hear from you and thanks for wanting to use our site as an example.

Cheers,
Otis and Mildred

From: Joanne Murray [mailto:justjoanne@iprimus.com.au] Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 7:01 AMTo: info@thebranflakes.comSubject: Hello
I just want to say hi to you guys from Australia.

I have not thought about you in over a decade and I see your web site is still going!! Your videos are a breath of fresh air.

I stumbled on your site while looking for music - 'She's the ginchiest' by Lee Gordon. Do you remember me? I vaguely remember emailing you then. And I think you answered.

Anyway... I am using your site as an example of meta-data for my Internet Communications course (it is your url http://www.branflake.com/ isn't it?). I was disappointed to see your site doesn't have that 'don't push button'. Why'd you let it go?

This web site has been the bench-mark for me for the mysteries of the internet. How did you all know so much so early? You are real pioneers.

love joanne x
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How's that for some meta-data which does not even try to make sense? 544 words

http://lii.org/pub/subtopic/3247
This website covers in depth about a lot of types of meta-data.