Providing tag sets to assist in the use and navigation of a folksonomy

Abstract

Tag sets are provided to assist in the navigation and use of a folksonomy. The collaborative tag sets are social in nature. As more users group two tags together into tag sets, the disclosed system causes the association between those two tags to grow stronger, as exposed in the bookmark system user interface when alternative tags are suggested for browsing the bookmarks in a folksonomy. Tags that are grouped together by a user into a tag set have the strongest possible weight for that user, and accordingly the disclosed system automatically applies all tags in a set when that user is retrieving bookmarks if the user selects at least one of tags in the set. Tags not in the user's tag sets, but included in the public tag set(s) of another user(s) are displayed in the user interface as tag suggestions.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 displaying a tag association user interface display object, wherein said tag association user interface display object enables a user to associate a tag with a bookmark specified by said user;   receiving an originally entered tag entered by said user into said tag association user interface display object;   determining that said originally entered tag is contained in a tag set;   responsive to said determining that said originally entered tag is contained in said tag set, displaying at least one list of selectable tags including at least one tag contained in said tag set other than said originally entered tag; and   associate user selected tags from said list with said bookmark.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said displaying said list of selectable tags comprises:
 displaying a first list of selectable tags including only tags contained in private tag sets accessible only to said user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said displaying said list of selectable tags comprises:
 displaying a second list of selectable tags including only bookmarks contained in shared tag sets accessible to multiple users.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said tags contained in said list of selectable tags are ordered based on the number of times each selectable tag is contained with said originally entered tag in a tag set. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein only tags contained with said originally entered tag in at least a threshold number of tag sets are included in said list of selectable tags. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a tag set definition user interface display object, wherein said tag set definition user interface display object enables a user to define a tag set by indicating a plurality of tags to be contained in said tag set, wherein each of said tags contained in said tag set are available for association with bookmarks.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 wherein said tag set definition user interface display object further enables said user to indicate whether said tag set is private or public;   wherein in the event that said local user indicates that said tag set is public, said tag set is shared with other users; and   wherein in the event that said local user indicates that said tag set is private, said tag set is not shared with other users.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein said tag set is a first tag set, and wherein said first tag set includes a second tag set within said first tag set; and   wherein said list of selectable tags includes tags contained in said second tag set.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a bookmark retrieval user interface display object, wherein said bookmark retrieval user interface display object enables said user to retrieve a list of bookmarks associated with said tag set; and   retrieving and displaying bookmarks associated with multiple tags contained in said tag set.   
     
     
         10 . A computer system including at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium, said non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon, wherein said program code, when executed, causes said computer system to:
 display a tag association user interface display object, wherein said tag association user interface display object enables a user to associate a tag with a bookmark specified by said user;   receive an originally entered tag entered by said user into said tag association user interface display object;   determine that said originally entered tag is contained in a tag set;   display, in response to determining that said originally entered tag is contained in said tag set, at least one list of selectable tags including at least one tag contained in said tag set other than said originally entered tag; and   associate user selected tags from said list with said bookmark.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein said program code, when executed, further causes said computer system to display said list of selectable tags by displaying a first list of selectable tags including only tags contained in private tag sets accessible only to said user. 
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein said program code, when executed, further causes said computer system to display said list of selectable tags by displaying a second list of selectable tags including only bookmarks contained in shared tag sets accessible to multiple users. 
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein said wherein said tags contained in said list of selectable tags are ordered based on the number of times each selectable tag is contained with said originally entered tag in a tag set. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein only tags contained with said originally entered tag in at least a threshold number of tag sets are included in said list of selectable tags. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein said program code, when executed, further causes said computer system to display a tag set definition user interface display object, wherein said tag set definition user interface display object enables a user to define a tag set by indicating a plurality of tags to be contained in said tag set, wherein each of said tags contained in said tag set are available for association with bookmarks. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein said tag set definition user interface display object further enables said user to indicate whether said tag set is private or public;   wherein in the event that said local user indicates that said tag set is public, said tag set is shared with other users; and   wherein in the event that said local user indicates that said tag set is private, said tag set is not shared with other users.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 wherein said tag set is a first tag set, and wherein said first tag set includes a second tag set within said first tag set; and   wherein said list of selectable tags includes tags contained in said second tag set.   
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein said program code, when executed, further causes said computer system to:
 display a bookmark retrieval user interface display object, wherein said bookmark retrieval user interface display object enables said user to retrieve a list of bookmarks associated with said tag set; and   retrieve and displaying bookmarks associated with multiple tags contained in said tag set.   
     
     
         19 . A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon for providing tag sets, wherein said program code, when executed, causes a computer system to:
 display a tag association user interface display object, wherein said tag association user interface display object enables a user to associate a tag with a bookmark specified by said user;   receive an originally entered tag entered by said user into said tag association user interface display object;   determine that said originally entered tag is contained in a tag set;   display, in response to determining that said originally entered tag is contained in said tag set, at least one list of selectable tags including at least one tag contained in said tag set other than said originally entered tag; and   associate user selected tags from said list with said bookmark.