Delivering to the expectations in WIPII will require making much better use of metadata and tags than is currently the case. Only if content is described accurately can we surface it in the right places, identify other related content and enable users to easily find what they are looking for.
Although all metadata is data about other data in this context metadata refers to the more rigid and predefined approach known as a taxonomy and tagging the more flexible and user-defined approach. While we will often use only a metadata approach to describe our digital assets, there are times when allowing the user to select their own terms is beneficial, either because we have not provided the cotrrect values or so we can learn what the most common values are.
The two approaches do not need to be mutually exclusive. Rather, they can play complimentary and supporting roles.
.