How to use myLot tags and discussion response
By Canellita
@Canellita (12029)
United States
June 1, 2010 8:06am CST
I've just responded to a couple of discussions about writing where the persons who had started each one used one long phrase as a tag for the discussions. This defeats the purpose of creating tags. Tags are keywords and phrases (short) that tell someone what your discussion is about and choosing the right tags will make a difference in your discussion being seen or not.
If you have started a discussion on pickling cucumbers from your garden you do not want the tag to be "making pickles from your own homegrown cucumbers." That is just way too long and is not going to help others find your discussion. The tags should be sosmething like this: pickles, pickling, cucumbers, garden, gardening, growing vegetables.
The other thing that I noticed with one of them was that there was a series of keywords all entered as one tag and not separated by commas. Again, this defeats the purpose. Ironically enough that discussion was asking for information on how to write articles without grammatical errors.
Just thought I'd share.
3 people like this
12 responses
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
1 Jun 10
llbo1981, I am not a myLot expert by I am always happy to help in anyway I can when it comes to writing and tags and keywords.
Welcome to myLot!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Sometimes I don't think it makes much difference. People don't seem to find some of my discussions anyway. The way I find discussions is through my email of my friends. Often, I hit skip for the tags. I think the tags are more to get the commercials that we might be interested in or might have something to do with the discussion.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I think I get your discussions from email alerts but I've found out recently that even the most active of my friends (in terms of my own discussions) are not necessarily receiving the emails (then again they don't always go out).
I noticed a while back that tags have a lot to do with which discussions are listed in the margin which can be a help if you're looking for discussions to participate in. I also noticed early on that the tags you choose have a lot to do with the discussions listed under yours when you start a new one (scroll down when the page reloads) and I've also noticed discussions with no tags just sitting in obscurity with no responses.
I guess it all comes down to what kind of experience you want to have here on myLot.
2 people like this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
2 Jun 10
Well, in your case I think there are just not enough myLot users who are into what you are into. You know stuff like "Where's George?" and the wild food gathering and stuff. Although I think you would get more responses with different keywords.
1 person likes this
@anawar (2404)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Hi Canellita.
I'm just returning to mylot after a taking a long break, and am trying to remember all the particulars. I appreciated your eloquent comments regarding tagging. All a person needs is a little common sense, but I I only realized that after reading your post. Thanks!
If you don't mind answering a question. . .when I respond to a discussion do I use the same tags as in the original discussion?
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
2 Jun 10
Good question! You either add new tags of your own or you choose the "skip" option.
If the person who started the discussion used sufficient tags you can just skip that option but if you see the discussion has little or no responses you can add tags to help them out.
1 person likes this
@adamc151 (476)
•
2 Jun 10
haha how ironic. I usually pick one or two keywords from the title when tagging a discussion but chances are somebody else will have already ready tagged it with those keywords. So sometimes i choose a keyword from my response or something from the text of the discussion :) Or other times i just skip it
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
4 Jul 10
Choices are different when tagging your own discussion or when tagging one you are responding to. In the latter situation it's optional.
@adamc151 (476)
•
2 Jun 10
haha how ironic. I usually pick one or two keywords from the title when tagging a discussion but chances are somebody else will have already ready tagged it with those keywords. So sometimes i choose a keyword from my response or something from the text of the discussion :) Or other times i just skip it
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
2 Jun 10
Interesting that you would choose a word from your own response. Most of the time I just choose skip, which actually messes me up when starting my own discussions because it becomes automatic and then I have to hurry and add the tags I want before someone else does.
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
4 Jul 10
Thanks, Canellita - a good reminder, especially for the new ones. I thought that tagging the discussion was a bit difficult in the beginning, but now that we can see what we have written, which was not possible before, it is easier to pick up the keywords.
I answered one discussion about relationships and used a special keyword a bit outside the subject and directly after I posted the response, I saw a lot of discussions with the same keyword. The tags obviously work!!
I answered one discussion about relationships and used a special keyword a bit outside the subject and directly after I posted the response, I saw a lot of discussions with the same keyword. The tags obviously work!!
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
5 Jul 10
Hey Buenavida, they definitely make a difference, particularly when some words are interchangeable. They are really important to your article writing as well.
@TexLadyPj (1328)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I appreciate your information. Although I have been using tags appropriately, it is excellent information for newbies and those who may have forgotten how to use tags.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
1 Jun 10
I am always streamlining my own tags and keyword usage to get the most out of them. At some sites you are restricted in how many you can add so you really have to choose the right ones and sometimes that means a word that means the same thing as your main keyword.
1 person likes this
@ganeshprabhuk (1722)
• India
2 Jun 10
My lot tags are a very good tags which are basically can be used to search the discussion what you have written,It is similar to tagging an item in an store, which indicates which group my response is and it will sit in that category of replies, even though the answers are for one question different tags help other person or admin to search writings on all such tags which will help them to filter out writings too for paying you money
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Jun 10
canellita I thought the use of tags for our discussions was up to each poster of discussions. I sometimes use a phrase and I do not ask anyone if this is appropriate or not as it is my discussion and my idea of how to put a tag. I do not usually go round checking on what others have p ut as their tags. I figure I have enough work trying to make my own discussions good,not break any rules, and make friends and earn a bit. for one thing before criticizing others too much here remember that a lot of users do not have English as their native tongue. my lot asks that we do not criticize them for grammar or misspellings.For your information I do not have a bit oftrouble getting plenty of responses to the discussions I do make so if my tag usage upsets you well just go on by.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Jun 10
my comment about breaking rules has to do with the specific rule my lot has that says we must not criticize esl people for tags and postings as they use English as a second language. asup as you are on everything else you did not read that rule in the dos and donts on discussions?
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
1 Jun 10
Tags have a purpose and if you don't input at least five someone else can inappropriately tag your discussion and I don't mean the wrong tag, I mean negative words. Actually, I believe a discussion can have up to ten tags so just because you don't see them...
As I stated above, I am not the tag police, but when I find a discussion sitting in the no response abyss or when someone mentions they had no responses to a discussion and I look at it there are usually no tags present or the wrong ones for directing traffic.
I am not sure what you are suggesting with the breaking of rules comment, but you seem to have taken this post personally and nothing in it had anything to do with you whatsoever.
As for users here being ESL they are the ones who need the most help with understanding and choosing the right tags and so far no one seems to have a problem with this discussion but you.
At no point in this discussion is anyone or their discussion criticized and before you go there, the mention of irony is not a condemnation. Additionally, at no point in time did I mention any user by name or point toward a specific discussion as somehow being wrong. If you have no trouble getting responses to your discussion then, once again, THIS ONE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
2 people like this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
2 Jun 10
You have a comprehension problem. I guess it's a question of semantics, but since you are the only one who thinks someone got offended I guess there's no point in discussing it further.
1 person likes this
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Jun 10
Hi C,
Gotcha...good observation from a writer-editor. i hope this can help us all in tagging discussions. this is a friendly reminder and an input for us to appreciate as this will simplify our lilfe in tagging all the discussions that we will be responding.
Thanks C!
