08-01-2020, 10:10 PM
The difference between a directory based system and a tag system is the number of sources for the information. A directory system is for one user who's also the creator. It's consistent by definition assuming you're capable of following your own rules. If you have more than one source for files a tag system is a TEGWAR, The Exciting Game without Any Rules. Any given tag can contain different information depending on who put the information into it. One of the first non Codd/Date rules although they have something similar which I've forgotten, for database keys is that they be unique. You can't have more than one key for the same concept or the system breaks. Suppose one source uses a genre key "Baroque" and another uses "17th-18th century" for the same piece? How about a composer tag as "J. S Bach" or "Bach?" I have files from many sources, my personal music collection, friends' music collections, commercial sources... Tagging ranges from none to complete with different sets of rules for different sources. Without a standards body and rigorous standards enforcement, tag utility isn't nearly as good as it could be.
The other thing is that I'm not really interested in spending the week or so it would take me to implement consistent tagging for my files. For me it has zero benefit. I'm not insisting that everyone use my approach. It's a valid approach for me and my set of files is well beyond the critical mass that would make tagging/re-tagging practical. I understand that the design of MPD makes skipping the tag system and the database unworkable. I was hoping that file browsing and the tag database were independent entities and you could install MOODE without tags. Nope, doesn't work that way. I get it.
The other thing is that I'm not really interested in spending the week or so it would take me to implement consistent tagging for my files. For me it has zero benefit. I'm not insisting that everyone use my approach. It's a valid approach for me and my set of files is well beyond the critical mass that would make tagging/re-tagging practical. I understand that the design of MPD makes skipping the tag system and the database unworkable. I was hoping that file browsing and the tag database were independent entities and you could install MOODE without tags. Nope, doesn't work that way. I get it.
(07-30-2020, 08:45 AM)the_bertrum Wrote:(07-29-2020, 04:52 PM)nosferatu_cat Wrote: The big problem with the tag idea is that when people are given a text field where they can enter anything, they will. You can't have meaningful indices and queries without key integrity. Music tags are the same way unless you get all your files from the same commercial source. You don't want to see what my library looks like.What you say for tags is also true of your folder hierarchy, the folder names are after all just free text and it is only because you take care to put things in the right place that the system remains in order. Take the same care over your tags, and all is well.
