Category Standardization (before it's too late!)

[mainstreetmark]

We have:

Apple CEOs
Apple Desktops
Apple Events
Apple Hardware
Apple ICs
Apple Information
Apple Laptops
Apple Services
Apple Software
Companies
Consumer Software
Graphics
Mac Desktops
Mac OS X
Networking
Operating Systems
Ports
Pro Software
Processors
Prosumer Software
Storage
Stubs
Third-Party Hardware
Third Party Hardware
Third Party Software

What a mess! We should standardize all these now, before it's too late! For example:

"Pro Software" vs "Prosumer Software" ??

Third-Party Hardware vs Third Party Hardware

I'm not really behind the whole "third party" distinction in the first place. We should have:

- Software
- Hardware

Software could be broken down in the various apple-provided subcategories as I described in a previous post. The whole "prosumer/consumer" category really only applies easily to Apple stuff. Sure, photoshop may be a "prosumer" app, but would Graphics Converter? It's used by pro's. I suspect most people who are looking for a solution wouldn't be going down a "pro" vs "consumer" road, but rather after a specific kind of application (an Internet utility, for example). This doesn't exclude a "Software->Apple Prosumer" category.

Hardware should similarly have a standard breakdown: Displays, CPUs, Mouses, etc... No need to necessarily differentiate between Apple/non-Apple stuff here. There should be no "Apple Displays" subcategory, but the Cinema Display could be in both Hardware->Displays, and Hardware->Apple Hardware (but not only Hardware->Apple Displays)

 

[wordmunger]

No, Apple Hardware should be its own category. Why should I have to tunnel down through Hardware --> Apple Hardware, just to get to Mac computers, on a site called "Mac Guides"?

But this all raises a much larger question. Is it so bad to have a lot of categories? Since every post can be associated with multiple categories, does it really matter? For example, I could associate iBook G4 with Apple Hardware, Apple Laptops, and iBooks. I could put iPhoto in both Apple Software and Prosumer Software.

 

[dubbz]

I don't see any problem with the large number of categories either, just as long as all of them doesn't appear on the front page.

And we definitely should have separate categories for Apple software and hardware.

 

[cube]

I want a Hardware category.

 

[mainstreetmark]

I guess I meant to say that "Apple Software" shouldn't be the *only* category something, say iTunes, should be in.

[[Category: Audio]]
[[Category: Apple Software]]

that's just fine with me. I'm merely trying to avoid requiring that a new user know that "GarageBand" is Apple software, when all he may be interested in is some new Audio app to play around with.

 

[dubbz]

I guess I meant to say that "Apple Software" shouldn't be the *only* category something, say iTunes, should be in.

[[Category: Audio]]
[[Category: Apple Software]]

Ah. Yes, more categories like "Audio Software" and the like makes sense to me.

 

[mainstreetmark]

Also, this page seems to have a good list of subcategories.

http://versiontracker.com/macosx/updByCat.php

I also'd like to see a "Freeware", "Commercial", "Shareware" category.

So, a single software app, like iTunes, could say:

[[Category: Apple Software]]
[[Category: Audio]]
[[Category: Freeware]]

and Photoshop:

[[Category: Graphics]]
[[Category: Commercial Software]]

(I think the "Third Party" categories are unnecessary. They don't add value to someone searching for information, unless someone's coming along looking for something specifically non-Apple)

 

[arn]

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_Guides:ProposedCategories

Post or edit the categories as you would like.

Remember, we can have more than one heirarchical category system. We just need to firm up the top categories.

arn