tags How to use and create TAGS

[James H]

PLEASE READ!

 

Model Ship World is a massive website with a wealth of information, build logs etc. Navigating your way to the information you want can be tricky, especially if you don't type in the exact search term.

 

Normally, if you wanted to look for something on MSW, you could use the Search feature we have here, and that can be used quite effectively, but there is another way to find exactly what you need, and that is by adding TAGS to your topics. This refines the system amazingly and you'll be surprised how much information you can find when tags are used.

 

So, what is a tag?

Tagging content is a quick and easy way to categorise and highlight the content your topic. Members/guests can then use these to find information about a similar subject, using the tag as a sort of filter.

 

You can add your topic tags when you start your topic, or you can edit your first post on your current, existing topic and add them.

 

What can I use for my tags?

We suggest you use specific words, such as the name of your ship/boat, manufacturer of kit, name of drawings company if scratch built etc. You can also use the vessel type, such as yacht, brig, sloop etc. If your topic is not a build log, but a post on tools, for example, you could tag it 'lathe' or 'proton' etc. These are simply key words to help other find those specific topics.

 

What should I NOT use for my tags?

This system will only be s good as the tags you use, so please don't use generic stuff such as

• hull
• glue
• wood
• my first project
• planks
• etc. etc. etc.....

 

Those are totally pointless and will dilute the tags system to the point where it will be worthless. Please don't do it. If in doubt, contact a moderator or administrator.

 

How do I add tags?

This is so easy. When you start a topic (or edit the first post of an existing topic), underneath the Title box, you will see another box called Tags. Enter your chosen words into there, adding a comma after each one. That comma will turn that word into a tag. Just use words that are pertinent to your topic, as I've already said. We suggest no more than three words maximum.

Noice how when you then make your first post, there are some black tags also showing. Those will display the words that you chose. See the red tag? That is called a 'prefix', and it a staff-only feature, but is the same thing as a tag and is used in exactly the same way. However, the staff here may choose to use one of your tags and make it red if it's important enough. 

 

 

 

FINALLY........How do I use tags in my searches?

Ok, here is a page in the Scratch Build Log area. Notice that the Cutter Cheerful has two tags? The first one is 'Cheerful'. Now, what if you wanted to see all build logs of that vessel?

 

 

...Simple! Click the tag, and you'll see this:

 

 

There you go!!!!

 

Ok, what if you want to look at all the builds and reviews etc. we have for Ancre? Do the same.

 

Here's a screenshot of the same forum area, and we'll choose the red tag for Ancre.

 

 

Click the Ancre tag, and you'll see it does the same thing. Here's just a few of the search results!

 

There you go.

 

PLEASE make use of this feature and use words which are useful for these searches.

 

 

 

[ccoyle]

And please, folks, we can't emphasize this enough: adding tags willy-nilly and/or not using standard tags will make the system less efficient. Here's a couple more do's and dont's

• DON'T include ship prefixes, e.g His/Her Majesty's Ship (HMS), USS, USCGS, etc. etc. Just think about it: Does anyone really want to pull up a list of every model on this site that has HMS in the title?
• DO use the complete and proper name for a kit's manufacturer, no abbreviations. If in doubt, check some of the existing tags for examples. 

Functionality is really the key, so our staff reserve the right to add, delete, or modify tags as necessary. Thanks for your help on this!

 

P.S. You may have already noticed that MSW staff have already started adding tags to build logs. If you see that your log has already been tagged, please don't add extra tags to it.

[BobG]

I like the idea of these tags because they can save a lot of time searching for build logs and information about certain models etc. 

 

I am currently building the Pen Duick by Artesania Latina. There are now two black tags by my build log title that I presume was put there by the administrators. When I click on the Pen Duick tag only two builds come up: my build and a build log by Matija. If I do a search for Pen Duick, however, and filter for "content titles only," 10 results come up including another build log by hof00. Two Pen Duick completed builds also come up that are in the gallery. So it doesn't seem that all the titles with Pen Duick in the are showing up using the black tag.

 

Since there have been very few builds of this model and the AL instructions are practically useless, I have searched for every bit of information that I could find on MSW. The log by jof00 has been very helpful as have been the two models in the gallery but, if I had only relied upon the black tag, I would not have found this information. So I'm not sure the black tags are leading us to all the information available for specific models.

[JeffT]

Rest assured Bob, we will tag them all eventually. Its a gargantuan task. 🙂

[ccoyle]

Just in case anyone is wondering, the default setting for tags with the previous edition of our software produced tags in lowercase. The new software allows tags to be written in uppercase. The case does not affect the tag function -- clicking an uppercase tag will pull up all tags with that name, regardless of case.