New web site module - tag clouds

Post by **kman** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:37 am

I'm looking for feedback on a new module I added to the website. This module implements "Tag Clouds", which is a Web 2.0-type of feature better described by Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_cloud

Tag cloud
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A tag cloud (or weighted list in visual design) is a visual depiction of user-generated tags used typically to describe the content of web sites. Tags are usually single words and are typically listed alphabetically, and the importance of a tag is shown with font size or color. Thus both finding a tag by alphabet and by popularity is possible. The tags are usually hyperlinks that lead to a collection of items that are associated with a tag.

I have the module live now so please browse to the main website:

http://www.mreinfo.com

and have a look. The module is called "Tags" and should display below the main menu.

I have a few different modules that I'm looking at. The current one just displays a list of common tags from each page. When you click on a tag, it takes to you a search page showing you results from searching from that tag.

So what do you think? If you're not happy with the way it works, what would work better?

RoastBeastFan · Post by **RoastBeastFan** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:47 pm

Interesting. How were the tags collected? Is that automated, or do they need to be assigned? As users click tags, do those tags automatically become stronger (on the assumption that tags that are clicked often must be more relevant)?

...Also, how difficult was it to install the software? It looks potentially pretty useful.

I did notice that sometimes the font is very small, like at

http://www.mreinfo.com/civilian/mre/civilian-mres.html

mres and civilian are large, military is small but readable, most of the others are too small to be read. On the other hand, that sounds about right for the Civilian MREs page, so maybe it should be left alone.

BigMark · Post by **BigMark** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:02 pm

I like it, a lot actually after having played with it for a bit... except RBF is right, the words get too small to read, and I have a 21" monitor. Admittedly I use 1600x1200 resolution, but still.

Post by **kman** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:08 pm

For the current module that I'm trying, it just collects tags based off the content of the current web page. The way the font sizes work is that let's say the word "mre" appears 20 times on that page - it gets put in a big font. But if the word "meal" only appears 4 times, it gets a smaller font size. That way, your eyes are drawn to the most popular words because they're in larger fonts.

The software is pretty easy to install. The site is running on Joomla and this is just a module you install. The you just config a few parameters and tell it which web pages you want it to appear on.

With this particular module, all that clicking on a tag does is take you to a search screen searching for that tag.

bishopmarine · Post by **bishopmarine** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:09 pm

i have used those on other sites. im not real fond of them. i guess i just usually like to find things on my own. sort of stubborn i guess. but hey it looks like other people like them.

Post by **kman** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:09 pm

BigMark, would mind taking a screenshot of how it looks to you and sending it to me? That way I can see what it looks like on your screen.

BigMark · Post by **BigMark** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:15 pm

Sent. I also dropped my resolution down to 1280x1024, and I still couldn't read them. Notice that I use the HDR page, it seems to have a ton of tags as compared to some of the others, but even the other pages will come up in the same tiny font, just less options.

Post by **kman** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:29 pm

Thanks for the screenshot, BigMark. It looks like I tested this module in Opera but forgot to test it in Firefox and IE. I'm seeing the same issue with those other browsers - tiny and impossible to read small fonts. I'll have to poke around the module to see if I can improve that and if not, switch to another module.