Re: User friendly term for Metadata

[Beth Agnew <BAgnew -at- INSYSTEMS -dot- COM>]

Trying to find a more user friendly term for metadata might lead to
inaccuracy because I don't think the term can be sufficiently deconstructed.
Metadata as "data about data" is pretty easy for users to wrap their minds
around, especially if you give a few examples. Sometimes people just have to
learn new words.

When we talk about metadata in our documentation, we explain that every data
item has certain attributes, such as a file name, file size, location, and
so on. Once users connect the idea of data having characteristics that can
be catalogued, they "get" metadata fairly quickly.

--Beth
Beth Agnew
Manager, Information Development

InSystems Technologies Inc.
65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100  Tel: (905) 513-1400 ext. 280
Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 9X1        Fax: (905) 513-1419
mailto:bagnew -at- insystems -dot- com    Visit us at: http://www.insystems.com

See my friendly face at:
http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/bute/52/techwr-l/a.htm#agnewb


-----Original Message-----
From: pete swisher [mailto:PSwisher -at- QUARK -dot- COM]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 10:50 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: User friendly term for Metadata


Hi.

Metadata means "data about data."  In the software I'm documenting, an end
user can build custom data views using metadata fields. For example, I could
choose the file name, file location, thumbnail, and file size metadata
fields in building such a data view.  Then, when I view a file, I only see
that information.

However, I feel metadata could be intimidating to our end users.  Our
audience ranges from sys admins to librarians. A possible choice is
"header", but that's a little vague.  Does anyone have some good
suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Pete


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